Lee Zeldin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Zeldin
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Official portrait, 2025
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| 17th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | |
| Assumed office January 29, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | David Fotouhi (nominee) |
| Preceded by | Michael S. Regan |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 1st district |
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| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Tim Bishop |
| Succeeded by | Nick LaLota |
| Member of the New York State Senate from the 3rd district |
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| In office January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Brian X. Foley |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Croci |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lee Michael Zeldin
January 30, 1980 East Meadow, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Diana Gidish |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Isaiah Zeldin (uncle) |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service |
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| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | Military Intelligence Corps |
| Battles/wars | Global War on Terrorism |
Lee Michael Zeldin (born January 30, 1980) is an American lawyer, politician, and former Army intelligence officer. He has been the 17th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since January 29, 2025. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Before his current role, Zeldin represented New York's 1st district in the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023. From 2011 to 2014, he was a member of the New York State Senate.
Zeldin is a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. He defended Trump during his first impeachment hearings. In 2021, Zeldin ran for Governor of New York but lost to Kathy Hochul. In November 2024, President Trump nominated Zeldin to lead the EPA. The Senate approved his nomination, and he was sworn in on January 29, 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lee Zeldin was born in East Meadow, New York. He grew up in Suffolk County, New York. He finished high school at William Floyd High School in 1998.
He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the SUNY University at Albany in 2001. He then received a law degree from Albany Law School in 2003. In 2004, he became a licensed lawyer in New York.
Military Service and Legal Work
Zeldin joined the United States Army in 2003 as a second lieutenant. He served in the Military Intelligence Corps. In 2007, he moved from active duty to the Army Reserve. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring on April 30, 2025.
After his active military service, Zeldin worked as a lawyer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 2007. In 2008, he opened his own law firm in Smithtown, New York. He worked there full-time until he was elected to the New York State Senate in 2010.
New York State Senate (2011–2014)
In 2010, Zeldin ran for the New York State Senate in the 3rd District. He won against the current Democratic senator, Brian X. Foley, with 57% of the votes. He was reelected in 2012.
In 2011, Zeldin helped pass a law that limited property tax increases to 2%. He voted against the Marriage Equality Act in June 2011. This law allowed same-sex marriage in New York. Zeldin stated his belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
He supported a $250 million cut to the MTA payroll tax in December 2011. In March 2012, Zeldin helped create a support program for veterans with PTSD.
Zeldin was not present for the vote on the NY SAFE Act, a gun control bill, in January 2013. He was away on Army Reserve duty. He later said he would have voted against the bill. In February 2014, Zeldin introduced a bill to stop the Common Core curriculum for three years. He also voted against the New York Dream Act in March 2014. This act would have helped undocumented students get financial aid for college.
U.S. House of Representatives (2015-2023)
Elections
2008 Election
In 2008, Zeldin ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 1st district. He challenged the current representative, Tim Bishop, but lost.
2014 Election
Zeldin ran against Tim Bishop again in 2014. He won the Republican primary and then defeated Bishop with 54% of the vote in November.
2016 Election
In 2016, Zeldin ran for reelection without opposition in the Republican primary. He won the general election against Democratic candidate Anna Throne-Holst with 58% of the vote.
2018 Election
Zeldin ran for reelection in 2018. He won against Democratic candidate Perry Gershon with 51.5% of the vote.
2020 Election
In 2020, Zeldin ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He won the general election against Democratic candidate Nancy Goroff with 54.9% of the vote.
Political Views
Education
In July 2015, Zeldin added an amendment to a bill that allowed states to choose not to use Common Core without being penalized. This amendment became law.
Environment
In 2014, Zeldin expressed doubts about how serious climate change was. In April 2015, he introduced a bill to change how fluke fishing limits were set. This bill did not pass.
In July 2015, Zeldin introduced a bill to change the boundary of a federal fishing zone. This would give New York and Rhode Island control over fishing in Block Island Sound. The bill did not pass. In September 2015, Zeldin spoke out against a plan to dump waste materials in the Long Island Sound. In April 2018, Zeldin said he did not support the Paris Agreement as it was written. He was concerned that other countries were not doing enough to help the climate.
Foreign Affairs
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In 2016, Zeldin and other representatives tried to get visas to visit Iran to check on the Iran nuclear deal framework. Iran denied their request.
Zeldin has said that Israel is "America's strongest ally." He supported moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018. He also praised the Abraham Accords, which were peace agreements between Israel and several Arab nations. In 2022, Zeldin was banned from entering Russia by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Health Care
In 2015, Zeldin helped introduce two bills to fight Lyme disease. On May 4, 2017, he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zeldin helped Suffolk County get over 1.2 million pieces of personal protective equipment. He also spoke against vaccine mandates for healthcare workers and mask mandates for schoolchildren.
Infrastructure
Zeldin voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021.
Land Management
In April 2016, Zeldin introduced a bill to stop the federal government from selling Plum Island to the highest bidder. His bill passed the House the next month.
LGBT Rights
In June 2015, after the Supreme Court ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, Zeldin said the issue should have been decided by states. A month later, he supported a bill that would protect people and groups who believe marriage is only between a man and a woman. Critics said this bill could lead to discrimination. In May 2019, Zeldin voted against the Equality Act. In July 2022, Zeldin was one of 47 Republican representatives who voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. This law would protect the right to same-sex marriage across the country.
Taxes
In November 2017, Zeldin was not happy with a proposed Republican tax bill. He was concerned about removing the state and local tax deduction (SALT). He voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 in December 2017. He supported corporate tax cuts but disagreed with the limit on property tax deductions.
Trump Administration
On May 3, 2016, Zeldin supported Donald Trump for president. Zeldin is considered a close ally of Trump. In 2017, Zeldin supported Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.
During the 2018-19 U.S. government shutdown, Zeldin voted against funding the government. He said he would not take his pay until the shutdown ended.
Zeldin strongly defended Trump during his first impeachment hearings. These hearings were about Trump asking the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden. Zeldin said in October 2019 that claims Trump was trying to get dirt on the Bidens were "not true."
After Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Zeldin was one of 126 Republican House members who supported a lawsuit challenging the election results. The Supreme Court did not hear the case. After the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Zeldin voted against certifying the election results for Arizona and Pennsylvania. He said he was against the violence. On January 7, 2021, he publicly said that Biden would be the next president.
Veterans Affairs
In February 2015, Zeldin introduced his first bill to remove the dollar limit for loans that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs can guarantee for veterans. In February 2016, he proposed federal money for a three-year, $25-million support program for veterans.
Committee Work
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
- Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance
Group Memberships (selected)
- Congressional Estuary Caucus
- Conservative Climate Caucus
- Climate Solutions Caucus
- House Republican Israel Caucus (co-chair)
- Long Island Sound Caucus (co-chair)
- Republican Main Street Partnership
2022 Campaign for Governor
In April 2021, Zeldin announced he would run for governor of New York in 2022. He received strong support from Republican leaders in New York. He also became the likely candidate for the Conservative Party of New York State.
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Zeldin raised a lot of money for his campaign. He visited every county in New York State twice. In March 2022, he officially received the Republican Party's nomination for governor. He also got the Conservative Party's nomination.
On July 21, 2022, Zeldin was attacked at a campaign event. A man attacked him with a pointed plastic key chain. The attacker was stopped and later arrested on federal charges.
Zeldin lost the election to the current governor, Kathy Hochul. He received 46.8% of the vote, while Hochul received 53.2%. Even though he lost, Zeldin received the highest percentage of votes for a Republican governor candidate in New York since 2002.
Campaign Promises
During his campaign for governor, Zeldin promised to reverse New York state's 2015 ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking). He also voted against the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
Zeldin has also spoken against New York's bail reform law. This law, which started in 2020, ended cash bail for most minor and nonviolent crimes. Zeldin has repeatedly called for it to be canceled.
Leadership America Needs
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In 2023, Zeldin started a group called Leadership America Needs. This group aims to encourage more young people and voters of color to vote Republican.
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (2025–Present)
Nomination and Approval
In November 2024, news reports said that Lee Zeldin was President Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His hearing to be approved for the job happened on January 16, 2025. The committee voted 11–8 to recommend him on January 23.
During his hearing, Zeldin stated that climate change is a real issue that needs to be addressed. The Senate approved him on January 29, 2025, with a vote of 56–42.
Time in Office
On January 29, 2025, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh swore Zeldin into office as the 17th Administrator of the EPA. In March 2025, Zeldin announced what he called the "largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history." He said the EPA's goal would now be more about removing rules and increasing energy production, rather than focusing on public health and environmental protection.
Zeldin announced plans to cancel many environmental rules. These included protections for wetlands, limits on pollution from vehicles and factories, and the legal reason for regulating greenhouse gases. Under Zeldin, the EPA also announced plans to cut jobs, get rid of its scientific research department, and reduce its budget by 65%.
In March 2025, a nonprofit group that received money from the government for climate projects sued the EPA. They said the EPA had unfairly stopped their grant. Also in March 2025, the EPA told power plants that burn coal and oil that they could avoid environmental rules by sending an email to the agency asking for an exception. By April 15, nearly 70 coal power plants had received these exceptions. Zeldin also said he would allow coal-burning power plants to ask for exceptions for pollution from coal ash.
In May 2025, the EPA reduced limits on forever chemicals in drinking water. Zeldin said the EPA wanted to protect Americans from these chemicals but also wanted "common-sense flexibility" for companies to follow the rules.
Personal Life
Lee Zeldin was raised in a mix of Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism. His grandfathers were rabbis. His wife, Diana, is Mormon. They have twin daughters and live in Shirley, New York. Zeldin is a member of a Reform Jewish temple. His great-uncle, Isaiah Zeldin, was a well-known rabbi.
On September 18, 2021, Zeldin announced that he had been diagnosed with leukemia in November 2020. He said he had achieved remission after treatment.
Images for kids
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Lee Zeldin's signature
See also
In Spanish: Lee Zeldin para niños
- List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
