WHO: Lizeldin

Nominated for: director of environmental protection bureau

You may know them through: He is a former Republican congressman from Long Island, New York.

More information about Zeldin:

• He is a member of the U.S. House Climate Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
• He often voted against environmental legislation in Congress, According to the League of Conservation Voters.
• During his failed bid for governor in 2022, he promised to overturn New York's ban on oil and gas drilling techniques such as fracking.

What does this role do? Providing advice on climate and environmental issues and enforcing environmental laws.

Here's what happened at the hearing

Zeldin declined to say how the Trump administration might try to change or roll back environmental regulations, including Rules restricting car exhaust pipes The Environmental Protection Agency predicts that pollution concerns may boost electric vehicle sales in the coming years.

"We have to make sure we protect our economy while protecting the environment," Zeldin told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Under pressure from Democrats on climate change, Zeldin acknowledged that carbon dioxide and methane pollution from fossil fuels is trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere.

"I believe climate change is real," Zeldin said.

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said that in 2016, Zeldin called for the United States to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. During the hearing, Zeldin said he supports all of the above energy strategies.

"All things considered, in an ideal world we would be able to pursue the cleanest, greenest energy sources at all times," Zeldin said.

President-elect Donald Trump has for years cast doubt on the scientific consensus that the Earth is getting hotter primarily due to heat emitted by fossil fuels. And Trump has Commitment to promote industry development during his second term.

"The threat of climate change has not gone away since you said this in 2016," Markey told Zeldin. "I'm just concerned now that your change of tone was about politics rather than science, and clearly you did believe in science at the time."

Zeldin pointed out that the United States Climate pollution has dropped the past twenty years. "Unfortunately, there are other countries that are not moving in the same direction," he said.

"I would say we can never do enough to ensure our water and air are clean, safe and healthy," Zeldin added. "No matter what we do every day to make that happen, we need to Wake up the next day and look for ways to do more.”

Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah praised Zeldin's nomination, saying he helped Republicans talk about climate change during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I represent a district where conservative Republicans will be able to unite with Democrats who consider themselves more liberal to focus on improving our environment," Zeldin said. "This joint effort, this common ground, is what the American public They want us to find pragmatic, common-sense solutions.”