Zeldin Likely to Cut 65 Percent of EPA Staff, Says Trump

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

The president says staff at the agency included โ€˜a lot of people that werenโ€™t doing their job.โ€™

WASHINGTONโ€”President Donald Trump announced that the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, was moving to lay off almost two-thirds of his agencyโ€™s employees.

โ€œI spoke with Lee Zeldin, and he thinks heโ€™s going to be cutting 65 or so percent of people from environmental,โ€ Trump said.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the EPA employs over 18,000 people, with over 17,000 of them being permanent workers.

Trump said staff at the agency included โ€œa lot of people that werenโ€™t doing their jobโ€”they were just obstructionists.โ€

He also alleged that many staff in the agency โ€œdidnโ€™t exist.โ€

Trump announced the prospective layoffs during his first Cabinet meeting on Feb. 26. The president was flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a temporary, non-Cabinet organization, also attended the meeting.

The EPA has faced cutbacks under previous Republican executives. President Ronald Reaganโ€™s EPA administrator, Anne Gorsuch, the mother of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, cut staff by 21 percent from 1981 through 1983. The agencyโ€™s budget fell under Reagan and late in the second term of President George W. Bush.

During the first 18 months of Trumpโ€™s first term, the agency shed over 1,500 employees. Its workforce grew under Biden, rising from 14,297 in fiscal year 2021 to 15,130 in fiscal year 2024.

The House budget resolution that passed by two votes late on Feb. 25 instructs the committee with jurisdiction over the EPA, Energy, and Commerce, to save $880 billion. That committeeโ€™s jurisdiction also includes Medicare, Medicaid, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health, among many other programs and agencies.

On Feb. 14, Zeldin announced a plan to seek the return of $20 billion in environmental funding dating to the Biden administration.

Byย Nathan Worcester

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Whoโ€™s Your Mamdani?

Former state assemblyman Mamdani, a failed rapper, has repackaged himself as a "democrat socialist." In laymen's terms he's a Socialist. Way to go Democrats!

The Latest Trouble In Russian-Azerbaijani Relations Might Be Part Of A Turkish-US Powerplay

Could trouble in Russian-Azerbaijani relations be part of a Turkish-US powerplay, which Trump could have agreed to with Erdogan and Aliyev?

How The Big Beautiful Bill Will Keep Louisiana’s Energy Industry Strong

Renewable or not, our federal govt should not be rigging the deck against any energy sources, especially nuclear power that is both clean and consistent.

On Declaring War, Congress De Facto Amended the Constitution

Congress has de facto amended the Constitution by 55 years of refusing to debate matters of war and peace.

AOC โ€“ Acting On Cue

It is easy to dislike Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), also known as Sandy Cortez, because she is fraudulent and not to smart.

DOJ Sues LA Over Sanctuary City Policies: 4 Things to Know

DOJ filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles over what it said are โ€œsanctuary cityโ€ policies that shield illegal immigrants from deportation efforts.

Rep. Dusty Johnson Will Run for Governor of South Dakota

U.S. Rep. Dustin Michael โ€œDustyโ€ Johnson has announced that he will run for governor of South Dakota during the general election to that office in 2026.

Moderna to Ask for Clearance for Combination COVID-Influenza Vaccine

Moderna is going to ask regulators to approve its combination vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza, the company said on June 30.

FBI Says Itโ€™s Uncovered โ€˜Largest Health Care Fraudโ€™ in American History

FBI and DOJ said $15 billion in losses was reported in โ€œlargest health care fraudโ€ investigation in U.S. history. Officials charged more than 300 people.

Federal Reserve โ€˜Should Be Ashamedโ€™ for Not Lowering Interest Rates, Trump Says

President Donald Trump said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues โ€œshould be ashamedโ€ for not lowering interest rates.

Trump Signs Executive Order to Lift Sanctions on Syria

President Trump signed an EO on June 30 to lift most sanctions on Syria, giving the Middle-Eastern country an opportunity to develop economically.

Canada-US Trade Talks Will End Until โ€˜Certain Taxesโ€™ Are Dropped, Trump Stresses

Trade discussions between Canada and the United States will end โ€œuntil such time as they drop certain taxes,โ€ U.S. President Trump said in an interview.

Trump Says US to Send Tariff Letters to Trade Partners Before July 9 Deadline

President Donald Trump said Sunday he will soon send letters to trading partners detailing the tariffs to be imposed on their exports to the United States.
spot_img

Related Articles