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Former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin sat for his confirmation proceeding to pb the Environmental Protection Agency connected Thursday, and was grilled by Democrats connected his views of clime change.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ranking subordinate Sheldon Whitehouse questioned Zeldin connected the effects of c dioxide and pollutants connected the atmosphere.
"Is c dioxide a pollutant?" the Rhode Island Democrat asked.
"As acold arsenic the c dioxide emitted by you during that question – no," Zeldin replied, adding that successful larger masses, the EPA should so absorption connected c dioxide output.
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Whitehouse besides produced a topographic representation of the Ocean State, showing colored ranges helium said are astatine information of becoming underwater owed to clime change.
He said Zeldin apt understands the contented with sealevels – arsenic his erstwhile legislature territory is diagonally crossed Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean from Westerly.
Later, Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont autarkic who caucuses with Democrats, told Zeldin that 2024 was the "hottest twelvemonth successful recorded history."
Sanders, a self-described antiauthoritarian socialist, added the past decennary has besides been the hottest connected grounds and cited "unprecedented wildfires successful the West Coast and Canada arsenic good arsenic "unprecedented flooding successful China" and drought successful South America and Africa.
He said Trump has called clime alteration a "hoax; clip and clip again."
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"What we’re seeing close present successful L.A. close present is apocalyptic… Montpelier was underwater precocious successful a mode we person not seen."
He pressed Zeldin to disclose whether helium believes clime alteration is an existential threat.
By contrast, Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, praised Zeldin for his measured content successful clime change.
"There's a batch that should unite us…as it relates to the environment," helium said.
Around that time, a compartment telephone adjacent Zeldin rang loudly.
"That was the fossil substance industry," Sanders quipped.
Later, Green New Deal co-sponsor Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts questioned Zeldin connected comments from a 2016 legislature statement wherever helium said it is the U.S.’ occupation to "reduce reliance connected fossil fuels."
"I enactment each of the supra energy," Zeldin replied earlier Markey chopped in.
"Considering each factors, successful an perfect world, we would beryllium capable to prosecute ever the cleanest, greenest vigor sources possible," Zeldin aboriginal continued, starring Markey to suggest present-day Lee Zeldin doesn’t hold with 2016 Lee Zeldin.
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., brought up constituents ravaged by wildfires.
Zeldin asked to sojourn California to bring assistance, and Schiff accepted.
"Your effect volition not beryllium connected whether catastrophe strikes a reddish authorities oregon a bluish state…?" Schiff aboriginal asked.
Zeldin assured him that would not beryllium the case.
In his opening connection astatine the commencement of the hearing, Zeldin pledged to uphold the EPA's halfway mission, which helium described arsenic protecting quality wellness and the environment.
"We indispensable bash everything successful our powerfulness to harness the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of American conservation and biology stewardship. We indispensable guarantee we are protecting our environment, portion besides protecting our economy," helium said.
"The American radical request leaders who tin find communal crushed to lick the urgent issues we face. I privation my daughters, your loved ones, and each kid crossed our state to thrive successful a satellite with cleanable air, cleanable water, and boundless opportunity," Zeldin went on.
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If confirmed, Zeldin pledged to "foster a collaborative civilization wrong the agency, supporting vocation unit who person dedicated themselves to this mission. I powerfully judge we person a motivation work to beryllium bully stewards of our situation for generations to come."
Zeldin earned a 14% beingness biology voting people from the League of Conservation Voters, but portion successful bureau helium besides battled efforts to amended the aerial and h2o prime successful and astir New York.
He pushed backmost against efforts to dump dredge-waste successful Long Island Sound, tripled backing for the EPA’s Long Island Sound Program.
Trump said successful a erstwhile connection that Zeldin volition guarantee just deregulation decisions and enact them successful "a mode to unleash the powerfulness of American businesses, portion astatine the aforesaid clip maintaining the highest biology standards, including the cleanest aerial and h2o connected the planet."
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