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U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, secured a commitment from President-elect Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator nominee, former Congressman Lee Zeldin, to increase the agency’s communication and collaboration to balance environmental stewardship and the impact of regulations on farmers, businesses and opportunity for economic growth.
“I want to compliment you on the fact that you’ve made yourself available,” Boozman said during Zeldin’s nomination hearing. “As a former member, can you talk about how important that is to you to make sure that you’re going to continue to be available, answer the phone, and make it such that we can get the information that we need to go forward?”
Zeldin reiterated his dedication to understanding Boozman’s priorities and to make himself available to address the concerns of the senator and his colleagues.
“I want to be responsive to all the members of this committee. I want my team to be able to work closely with your offices. I want to know what all of your priorities are at any given time and make sure I’m accountable and transparent to this committee,” said Zeldin. “I want to make sure there is a very strong relationship between this committee and the EPA.”
During the hearing, Boozman cited his role as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and its direct oversight over the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs. The senator pushed Zeldin to work cooperatively with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the rules and regulations that impact farmers.
“As issues affecting agriculture arise, I’ve found farmers and ranchers are best served when the EPA and the Department of Agriculture are working together,” said Boozman. “Can you tell us about how you envision EPA and USDA working together to create a predictable, science-based and efficient regulatory system that ensures the timely availability of tools farmers and ranchers depend on to produce the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply in the world?”
“I agree with everything that you just said, senator. That must be our goal, that should be the relationship between multiple agencies, including the interaction between the EPA and USDA,” Zeldin responded.
Boozman also questioned Zeldin on how he plans to break from the EPA’s previous failure to collaborate with farmers, businesses and other stakeholders prior to issuing regulations.
“For the last several years, EPA failed to collaborate with industries and states prior to rulemaking,” Boozman said. “Given that every rulemaking has a significant impact on businesses, workers and domestic manufacturing, which cannot simply be restored overnight, how will you work with industries more collectively to ensure their concerns are addressed while maintaining a balanced approach to environmental protection?”
“It is important that the EPA is always fulfilling our obligations under the law. As far as engagement throughout that process, it is important to hear from people who have good, substantive, informed feedback that allows the EPA to do a better job, to make better decisions,” Zeldin stated. “At times, that might involve me speaking to people who I might agree with or disagree with on any given day, but the worst thing that I could possibly do, that the EPA could do, is to turn a blind eye to great, substantive feedback that will better inform our decisions so that we are being responsive and transparent, not just to Congress but also to the American people.” To watch the senator’s full line of questioning, click here
