Zeldin Blasts Democrats Over EPA Cuts: “You Don’t Care About 99% of This Story”
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin went on the offensive during a heated Senate hearing, slamming Democrats for what he called blatant hypocrisy and political posturing over the agency’s budget reforms. Facing backlash for the Trump administration’s proposal to cut the EPA’s budget by 55%, Zeldin argued the reductions are aimed squarely at rooting out waste, fraud, and bloated bureaucracy—not harming the environment.
Tensions rose as Zeldin sparred with Democrats, particularly Rep. Adam Schiff, who accused the proposed cuts of putting Americans at risk of cancer and environmental catastrophe. Zeldin fired back, mocking Schiff as an “aspiring fiction writer” and dismissing his comments as politically motivated fearmongering. “You don’t care about 99% of this story,” Zeldin said. “You’re ignoring the corruption, the double-dipping, and the unmonitored slush funds this agency has been doling out for years.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse demanded specifics on Zeldin’s decision to cancel dozens of environmental justice and green energy grants approved during the Biden administration. Zeldin responded that many of those grants were awarded without proper oversight, had clear conflicts of interest, or were used for politically driven activism rather than legitimate environmental work.
Zeldin insisted the EPA’s mission is being preserved—but refocused. “We are cleaning house. That means cutting loose the activist spending that has nothing to do with clean air or clean water,” he said. “We’re protecting taxpayers and delivering results.”
While Democrats painted the cuts as reckless and dangerous, Zeldin countered that their real concern was losing control over how EPA funds are used. “This isn’t about clean water,” he said. “It’s about control, power, and propping up political allies with government grants.”
The hearing has since gone viral, with Zeldin’s fiery rebuke resonating among conservatives who view the EPA as a bloated agency in need of reform. The confrontation sets the tone for a broader fight over the future of environmental policy under the Trump administration, which is determined to rein in federal agencies and reassert executive control over regulatory agendas.
Nothing exposes the hypocrisy of Congressional Dems like @SenWhitehouse more than the cold hard truth about why I terminated their Green Slush Fund Scam and how I have unapologetically implemented a ZERO tolerance policy for ANY waste and abuse. pic.twitter.com/1yQNlWLU7m
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) May 21, 2025