Skip to player
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
Search
Connect
Watch fullscreen
Like
Bookmark
Share
Add to Playlist
Report
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Rails Against Biden Era EPA Panel Spending Record
Forbes Breaking News
Follow
5/30/2025
During a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-TX) questioned EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin about Biden EPA spending.
Category
š
News
Transcript
Display full video transcript
00:00
I now recognize the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Guthrie, five minutes question.
00:05
Thank you. Thank you, Administrator Zeldin. Thanks for being back here amongst your colleagues.
00:10
We welcome you back here to Capitol Hill and so happy you're in the position you are.
00:15
Last night, you talked about new technologies moving forward.
00:18
We had, last night, we had a rule, a CR Congressional Review Act I defended before rules,
00:24
and it was if you're a major source and you had new technology or new operational procedures
00:29
that lowered your standard, your emissions, then you could go into the area source,
00:35
and we were accused of doing everything of giving kids asthma and things like that,
00:39
which is unfortunate because what we want to do is we see new technology coming
00:43
and we see the opportunities for people to improve, and that's what we want.
00:49
And I went to college in your home state and right down the river from the ranking member,
00:54
and when I was in the Hudson River in the 1980s, you couldn't swim in it,
00:57
at least even around 50 miles up from Manhattan at West Point because it was contaminated.
01:03
And the first time I remember hearing of the HHS secretary, of course, I'd heard of his family,
01:08
was he was the leader of Clean Up the Hudson River, the River Keepers,
01:12
which was a group that I kind of followed because I was dismayed that such a beautiful piece of our country
01:18
was in the position it was in because of industry.
01:20
And we all agree, and there's nobody saying anywhere on our side of the aisle,
01:26
and you're in the administration, that those types of things absolutely cannot happen.
01:31
And so we're all there.
01:32
So now we're getting on to things you're trying to fix where the small regulatory,
01:37
it seems like small regulatory that costs a fortune,
01:40
that you were talking about with PFAS and some other things we're seeing with our water plants.
01:44
But getting back to the greenhouse gas fund, could you kind of walk us through again,
01:47
there was at least one, if not many, agents, non-profit that essentially was formed after the IRA,
01:56
had $100 in his checking account, got $2,000, I mean $2 billion grant.
02:03
So it seems like here's the money, go form your thing and get it.
02:06
Instead of trying to invest, they talk about investing in known technologies to improve the environment.
02:10
People were creating businesses who were politically connected to chase the money.
02:16
Could you talk, you said if you had 20 minutes, you have like 245, if you want to talk more about it.
02:21
Great. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to continue to go through the list.
02:27
And I would encourage anyone at home who doesn't want to hear it to put their finger in their ear,
02:32
because we'll keep going through specific examples that the New York Times says doesn't exist.
02:39
This is an EPA panel. This is the Biden EPA.
02:43
The Biden EPA panel reviewing the application for power forward communities.
02:48
That's the one that you referenced.
02:49
They received $100 in 2023 and then they get $2 billion in 2024.
02:54
The Biden EPA panel was questioning the salaries it planned to pay its executives.
02:58
The salary structure for top officers, this is a quote from the Biden EPA.
03:02
The salary structure for top officers seems high for a nonprofit.
03:07
Wondering if this could be a problem with public perception, the reviewer noted.
03:12
Another comment on a part of power forward communities.
03:15
I hate to interrupt you, administrator. Do you know what the top salary was?
03:19
Thank you for asking.
03:23
Another comment, which was part of the application, a reviewer writes, quote,
03:28
For such an important section, it was pithy, though not always in a good way.
03:32
Many of the costs were just presented, but little or no explanation as to why they are reasonable.
03:37
I would have preferred they omitted the travel discussion and explained why they need to pay the CEO $800,000,
03:44
growing to $948,000 in year seven, and chief operations officer $455,000 per year.
03:55
It was reported that 22 of power forward communities' employees were slated to earn more than $150,000.
04:02
Reviewers also criticized powerful communities for, by the way, this is the Biden EPA.
04:09
Biden EPA criticized powerful communities for its lack of planning for, quote, proactive oversight.
04:17
So the Biden EPA is giving this entity that made $100 in 2023, $2 billion in 2024,
04:24
and the Biden EPA is concerned that this entity isn't going to be able to conduct proper oversight.
04:32
That's just an example of going down the list a bit more on one of the eight NGOs.
04:39
So the group didn't exist.
04:42
They came into being in 2023, had $100 in their check account, gets a $2 billion grant,
04:47
and the CEO gets almost $900,000, and over a year will get over $900,000?
04:52
Yes, Chairman.
04:53
That's what your testimony is today.
04:55
Yes, Chairman.
04:56
Well, we only have about six seconds left, so I will yield back.
Recommended
0:46
|
Up next
Teslaās Co-Founder Calls Out Elon Musk
Benzinga
yesterday
0:53
Spotify Slides After Weak Results Despite Surging YTD Gains
Benzinga
yesterday
1:18
'We're Not Going To Let Anybody Attack The Dollar': Donald Trump Defends Additional Penalty On India
Forbes Breaking News
today
1:30
8.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Russia's Far East, Triggers Tsunami Alerts in Japan
TIME
yesterday
1:22
Nancy Pelosi Backs Proposal To Ban 'Congressional Stock Trading' Named After Her ā 'Proud To Support It, No Matter What They Decide To Name It'
Benzinga
today
2:46:07
Lee Zeldin Faces Tough Questions During House Energy And Commerce Committee Hearing On EPA Budget
Forbes Breaking News
5/20/2025
5:38
āWe Inherited Many Backlogsā: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Slams Bidenās Energy Record
Forbes Breaking News
6/2/2025
3:08
'I'm Just Wondering Why...': Kevin Mullin Grills EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin On Canceled Grant
Forbes Breaking News
5/29/2025
4:16
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Touts 'The Great American Comeback' During Opening Remarks
Forbes Breaking News
5/14/2025
5:15
Gary Palmer Presses EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin About Biden Era Assements On Lime Manufacturing Emissions
Forbes Breaking News
5/30/2025
5:32
Jake Auchincloss Asks Lee Zeldin To Name PFAS Tech He Claims Justifies 90% Cut To EPA Drinking Water Fund
Forbes Breaking News
5/21/2025
5:11
EPA Head Lee Zeldin Touts 'Energy Dominance' In Opening Remarks Before House Energy Committee
Forbes Breaking News
5/20/2025
5:23
'Swamp Of Corruption': Sheldon Whitehouse Decries EPA Under Lee Zeldin
Forbes Breaking News
6/13/2025
5:48
John Curtis Asks EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin About Biden-Era Rule That 'Harms' Affordable Energy
Forbes Breaking News
6/2/2025
5:41
Nanette BarragaĢn Demands Lee Zeldin Show Evidence For Accusations About Grant Awardees
Forbes Breaking News
5/20/2025
3:17
Lizzie Fletcher Presses EPA Head Lee Zeldin On Relocation Of EPA Region 6 Lab Out Of Houston
Forbes Breaking News
5/28/2025
2:21
'Open-Ended Contracts With No Accountability': Mike Lee Rips Biden Over Clean Energy 'Pet Projects'
Forbes Breaking News
7/10/2025
5:37
Mike Lee Discusses Biden Administration Rule Banning Incandescent Light Bulbs And Abandoned Mine Remediation
Forbes Breaking News
7/9/2025
6:45
Susie Lee Asks Energy Secretary Chris Wright About Potential Expansion Of Geothermal Projects
Forbes Breaking News
5/9/2025
6:12
'Let Me Stop You Right There!': Sheldon Whitehouse Has Tought Grilling Of EPA's Lee Zeldin
Forbes Breaking News
5/22/2025
3:32
'At The Trump EPA, The Green New Deal Is Dead': Lee Zeldin Touts 'Accomplishments' During His Term
Forbes Breaking News
4/30/2025
5:26
GOP Lawmaker Asks Energy Secretary Chris Wright About Using Solar Power To Meet Energy Demands
Forbes Breaking News
6/17/2025
5:26
Brett Guthrie Grills Organ Procurement Organization CEO On NGO's Response To Damning HHS Report
Forbes Breaking News
7/22/2025
10:13
Chellie Pingree Grills EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Over 'Deeply Troubling' Cuts In Budget Proposal
Forbes Breaking News
5/15/2025
8:41
Sheldon Whitehouse Brings The Receipts During Heated Clash With EPA Head Lee Zeldin
Forbes Breaking News
5/21/2025