Major Controversies Surrounding Lee Zeldin: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Lee Zeldin.

Lee Michael Zeldin is an American politician. He served as the U.S. Representative for New York's 1st congressional district from 2015 to 2023. Prior to that, he was a member of the New York State Senate from 2011 to 2014. Currently, he holds the position of the 17th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since January 29, 2025.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

June 2011: Voted Against Marriage Equality Act

In June 2011, Lee Zeldin voted against the Marriage Equality Act, which the Senate passed. He stated his belief that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman.

March 2014: Voted Against New York Dream Act

In March 2014, Lee Zeldin voted against the New York Dream Act, which would allow undocumented students who meet in-state tuition requirements to obtain financial aid to study at the university level.

2014: Expressed Doubts About Climate Change Severity

In 2014, Lee Zeldin "expressed doubts about the severity" of climate change.

June 2015: Declined to comment on same-sex marriage

In June 2015, after the United States Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that state-level bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, Lee Zeldin would not comment about his view of same-sex marriage, but indicated he believed the issue should have been decided at the state level.

January 2016: Reported as No-Show at Foreign Affairs Hearings

In January 2016, the New York Post reported that Lee Zeldin was a no-show in 2015 at 12 of 18 House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearings that dealt specifically with ISIL and with Syria.

May 2019: Voted Against the Equality Act

In May 2019, Lee Zeldin voted against the Equality Act.

February 1, 2020: Zeldin calls for expunging Trump's impeachment

On February 1, 2020, days before the conclusion of Trump's first impeachment trial, Lee Zeldin tweeted that Republicans should expunge the impeachment if they won a House majority in the upcoming 2020 House elections.

January 2021: Zeldin responds to audio of Trump pressuring Georgia secretary of state

In January 2021, when asked to respond to the release of an audio recording of a phone call in which Trump pressured Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to overturn the 2020 election and "find" enough votes for him to win, Zeldin said "I wish the reporting on it was a full and honest discussion – as opposed to the one-sided, biased take."

July 1, 2021: Voted Against Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

On July 1, 2021, Lee Zeldin voted against the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

November 5, 2021: Voted Against Senate Amendment to Infrastructure Bill

On November 5, 2021, Lee Zeldin voted against the Senate amendment to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

March 2025: Zeldin presents "largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history"

In March 2025, Lee Zeldin presented what he described as the "largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history" wherein he reframed the purpose of the EPA towards deregulation and energy production in lieu of public health and environmental protections. Zeldin announced plans to repeal dozens of major environmental regulations, including protections for wetlands, limits on pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks, and the endangerment finding, the legal basis for regulation of greenhouse gases. Under Zeldin, the agency announced plans to cut agency jobs, eliminate its scientific research arm, and reduce the EPA's budget by 65%.

March 2025: Climate United Fund sues the EPA

In March 2025, the Climate United Fund, a nonprofit that was awarded nearly $7 billion by the Biden administration to finance energy and climate projects, sued the EPA, accusing it of improperly freezing a grant.

March 2025: EPA allows power plants to bypass environmental restrictions

In March 2025, the EPA informed coal- and oil-burning power plants that they could potentially bypass environmental restrictions by sending an email to the agency requesting an exemption. Zeldin also said that he would allow coal-burning power plants to apply for exemptions for coal ash pollution.

July 2025: Zeldin Announces Repeal of Endangerment Finding

In July 2025, Lee Zeldin announced a repeal of the endangerment finding, which declares greenhouse gases a public health threat. Zeldin described it as "the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States."

February 12, 2026: Endangerment Finding Repeal Finalized

On February 12, 2026, the formal process of repealing the endangerment finding, initially announced in July 2025, was finalized by President Donald Trump.