EPA Head Clashes with CNN Host Over Climate Policy and Legal Interpretation

During a Sunday appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Lee Zeldin, former Republican Congressman and current head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), engaged in a tense exchange with host Kasie Hunt. Hunt sought clarification on recent policy shifts under Zeldin's leadership. Zeldin emphasized that recent Supreme Court rulings, such as West Virginia v. EPA and Michigan v. EPA, limit the EPA's ability to interpret vague statutory language to justify broad regulations. He argued that significant policy decisions, especially those involving extensive regulations and economic impact, should be made by elected legislators through legislation rather than agency interpretation. Zeldin expressed skepticism about the scientific consensus linking greenhouse gases to global warming, suggesting that the EPA's previous findings relied on questionable assumptions. Hunt questioned whether Zeldin doubts the role of greenhouse gas emissions in climate change, to which Zeldin responded defensively, asserting that the EPA's authority derives from law and that recent Supreme Court decisions restrict the agency from making expansive interpretations without explicit congressional authoriza...