Budget cuts at Trump EPA become flashpoint at a heated hearing — and, Democrats say, may kill people

WASHINGTON -- The caput of the Environmental Protection Agency clashed with Democratic senators Wednesday, accusing 1 of being an “aspiring fabrication writer” and saying different does not "care astir wasting money.'' Democrats countered that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s tenure volition apt mean much Americans contracting lung crab and different illnesses.

The heated exchanges, astatine a Senate proceeding to sermon President Donald Trump's connection to slash the agency's fund successful half, showed the crisp partisan differences implicit Zeldin's deregulatory approach. Zeldin. a erstwhile Republican congressman, has said his tenure volition turbocharge the American system portion ensuring cleanable aerial and water. Democrats accidental helium is endangering the lives of millions of Americans and abandoning the agency’s dual ngo to support the situation and quality health.

Zeldin, who took bureau successful January, has projected a flood of changes that would sharply trim the agency's workforce, terminate billions of dollars successful grants approved by the Biden medication and roll backmost dozens of biology rules including landmark regulations connected clime alteration and contamination from coal-fired powerfulness plants.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told Zeldin that a program to chopped EPA spending by 55% means that, to Zeldin and Trump, “more than fractional of the biology efforts of the EPA ... to marque definite Americans person cleanable aerial and cleanable water, are conscionable a waste.” If approved by Congress, the fund cuts “will mean there’s much diesel and much different particulate substance successful the air" and that “water that Americans portion is going to person much chemicals,” Schiff said.

“Your bequest volition beryllium much lung cancer," helium told Zeldin. "It’ll beryllium much bladder cancer. It’ll beryllium much leukemia and pancreatic crab ... much uncommon cancers of innumerable varieties.''

Replied Zeldin: “I recognize that you are an aspiring fabrication writer. I spot why.”

Schiff said the existent fabrication was Zeldin's evident content that helium tin chopped the EPA's fund successful fractional “and it won't impact people's health, oregon their h2o oregon their air." Schiff said the Republican head was “totally beholden to the lipid industry,” adding: "You could springiness a rat's ass astir however overmuch crab your bureau causes."

Zeldin engaged successful a akin rhetorical lucifer with Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the apical Democrat connected the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Whitehouse said Zeldin and others astatine EPA person made “baseless accusations of fraud” astir grants awarded nether Democratic President Joe Biden, removed “career officials who stood up for the regularisation of law” and deployed FBI agents "to harass vocation civilian servants.''

Whitehouse besides challenged Zeldin's contention that helium had personally reviewed 781 Biden-era grants totaling astir $2 cardinal that the Trump medication aboriginal canceled. The grants were intended to code chronic contamination successful number communities and jump-start cleanable vigor programs crossed the country, but Zeldin said they were plagued by conflicts of involvement and unqualified recipients.

“You don't attraction astir wasting money, but the Trump medication does, Senator," Zeldin said.

When Whitehouse pressed to spot Zeldin's docket to beryllium helium personally reviewed the grants earlier canceling them, Zeldin said he's worked connected the contented “almost each azygous day” since taking office.

"We are cracking down connected each waste, each facet of abuse,'' Zeldin said, adding that Whitehouse seemed incapable to grasp that much than 1 idiosyncratic could reappraisal EPA's assistance program.

"I americium insisting connected the facts,'' Whitehouse said.

American taxpayers “put President Trump successful bureau due to the fact that of radical similar you,” Zeldin replied. “They person Republicans successful complaint of the House and Senate due to the fact that of radical similar you. You don't privation maine to spell done the database of each the grounds of discarded and abuse."

Whitehouse replied that Zeldin should explicate wherefore Justice Department lawyers, speaking nether oath connected behalf of the agency, person “said that everything you conscionable said is not true. That's what I want.”