Former congressman Lee Zeldin will head an institution in the USA equivalent to Ibama in Brazil
The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump (Republican Party), this Monday (11.Nov.2024) former congressman Lee Zeldin as head of the US Environmental Protection Agency – equivalent to the (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) in Brazil. According to Trump, at the head of the body, the former congressman will deregulate the sector and maintain “altos” environmental standards.
“I have known Lee Zeldin for a long time and have seen him deal brilliantly with some extremely difficult and complex situations. I am very proud to have him in the Trump administration, where he will quickly prove to be a major contributor.”Trump said in a statement.
Environmentalist policy proposals were rejected by Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign. The Republican supports unlimited production of fossil fuels, says he will withdraw the country again from the Paris Agreement and says he will revoke investment in clean energy and the fight against climate change instituted by President Joe Biden (Democratic Party).
The president-elect says his goal is for the US to have the cheapest energy and electricity in the world. During his first term, Trump repealed more than 100 environmental regulations, including legislation aimed at reducing emissions that cause global warming and to protect rivers, oceans and air quality.
WHO IS LEE ZELDIN
Lee Zeldin, 44, is a former congressman from New York State who was in Congress from 2015 to 2023. In the House of Representatives, he stood out on issues such as foreign policy, security, anti-Semitism and infrastructure. He was also a state senator from 2010 to 2014.
In 2022, Zeldin stood out on the North American national political scene by having the best performance in the race of a Republican for governor of the State in more than 50 years, obtaining 46.7% of the votes. Despite this, he lost the race to the current governor of New York, Kathy Hochul (Democratic Party), who got 53.1%.
Born in New York, Zeldin was the youngest lawyer in the state at age 23 and served 4 years in the US Army, highlighted by his participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is still a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Force Reserve.
