The Voice News: A fiery exchange erupted Wednesday between EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) during a Senate hearing over the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to environmental grants.
Whitehouse grilled Zeldin on whether the EPA conducted individualized reviews before canceling numerous environmental justice grants. He cited discrepancies between Zeldin’s public comments and court filings, including a Justice Department admission that such reviews were not conducted as claimed.
Zeldin pushed back sharply. “We had multiple employees reviewing the grants. That concept just escapes you,” he snapped at Whitehouse. He later added, “The American taxpayers put President Trump in office because of people like you.”
Whitehouse responded by demanding clarity on why DOJ lawyers contradicted Zeldin’s testimony under oath.
The hearing grew more tense as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) criticized EPA rollbacks, warning they could lead to a rise in various cancers. He specifically questioned Zeldin about a canceled lead poisoning prevention grant for Santa Ana, California.
“You could give a rat’s ass about how much cancer your agency causes,” Schiff said, accusing Zeldin of ignoring public health risks. Zeldin responded by calling Schiff an “aspiring fiction writer.”
The Trump EPA has faced backlash for plans to ease restrictions on several pollutants linked to cancer and developmental issues.
