Latest news with #Reagan-era
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump announces ‘Golden Dome for America' to protect U.S. from ballistic and hypersonic missiles
More than four decades after the Reagan administration's widely derided and mocked push to build a space-based ballistic missile defense system, President Donald Trump is reviving the Pentagon's efforts to protect the continental United States from foreign projectiles with a defense shield he is calling a 'Golden Dome for America.' Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump says the U.S. now has the technology to construct a system to combat not just the intercontinental ballistic missiles that were the subject of the Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative, but against space-based and hypersonic missiles as well. 'In the campaign I promised the American people that I would build a cutting edge missile defense shield to protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack, and that's what we're doing today,' said Trump, who added that he was 'pleased to announce' that the U.S. has settled on an 'architecture' for a 'state of the art system' he promised would 'deploy next generation technologies across the land, sea and space, including space based sensors and interceptors.' The president said the proposed system would 'integrate with our existing defense capabilities' and would be fully operational by the end of his term in January 2029. He also said it would provide an umbrella of protection for the U.S. and Canada for all manner of modern threats. 'Once fully constructed, the golden dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they're launched from space, and we will have the best system ever built,' he said, comparing the proposed system favorably to the Israeli Iron Dome, which the Israeli Defense Forces have used for years to protect that small country from medium-range missiles launched by nation states such as Iran and the unguided rockets favored by Hamas and other militant, non-state actors. Trump said the new U.S. system would do all that, and more by handling threats from 'hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles and advanced cruise missiles' using a combination of ground-based interceptors, sea-launched interceptors and space-based systems built in the U.S. by American defense contractors. 'We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland,' he said. The president said the system would eventually cost upwards of $175 billion when completed, and would be started with an initial $25 billion to be allocated in the 'Big Beautiful Bill' reconciliation package currently under debate in the Republican-controlled Congress. Trump also told reporters he was putting Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, the current Vice Chief of Space Operations, in charge of the project. Hegseth, the former Fox News host who Trump tapped to lead the Pentagon over objections from defense experts and some Republican senators, praised the president for pushing the project, which he called 'a generational investment in the security of America and Americans.' 'President Reagan, 40 years ago, cast the vision for it. The technology wasn't there. Now it is, and you're following through to say we will protect the homeland from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they're conventional or nuclear,' Hegseth said before turning the floor over to Guetlein, who noted that American adversaries had been 'become very capable and very intent on holding the homeland at risk' by 'quickly modernizing their nuclear forces' and building out hypersonic missiles, new and more capable cruise missiles, more capable submarines and even space-based weapons systems along the lines of what Reagan had envisioned in the 1980s. 'It is time that we change that we change that equation and start doubling down on the protection of the homeland. Golden Dome is a bold and aggressive approach to hurry up and protect the homeland from our adversaries. We owe it to our children and our children's children to protect them and afford them a quality of life that we have all grown up enjoying,' he added. Tuesday's announcement follows the signing of a January 27 executive order directing the Pentagon to start on the project, which arose out of Trump's admiration for the Israeli Iron Dome system's effectiveness at shooting down Hamas rocket attacks. The U.S. has spent years investing in ballistic missile defense systems with varying degrees of success. Currently, the Pentagon operates a Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system designed to shoot down ballistic missiles during the 'middle course' of their flight when they are outside the earth's atmosphere. According to the Congressional Research Service, that system relies on radar and satellite systems connected to launch sites in Alaska and California, and while it can protect from some intercontinental ballistic missile threats it has never been considered a match for the strategic missile forces deployed by Russia and China. Yet American defense officials haven't seriously pushed for a comprehensive missile defense that could nullify the Russian and Chinese missile threats because U.S. strategic doctrine has always relied on America's sea, air and land-based nuclear forces as a deterrent. When reporters asked Trump who in the U.S. defense establishment had pushed for a new missile defense effort and cited assertions by the North American Aerospace Defense Command that current systems were adequate, Trump claimed there was 'no current system.' 'We have certain areas of missiles and certain missile defense, but there's no system. We just have some very capable weapons that hopefully we never have to use, but we have some very capable weapons now,' he said. Pressed further on whether military commanders had asked for a new missile defense system, Trump admitted that it was his idea. 'I suggested it, and they all said: 'We love the idea, sir,'' he said. 'They wanted it badly, once it was suggested.'
E&E News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Zeldin wants a ‘Reagan era'-sized EPA. He already has one.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has heralded a downsizing to Reagan-era staffing levels, but the growth in the agency's workload in the last four decades poses pressing questions about its ability to keep up — and whether the Trump administration even intends to try. When President Ronald Reagan left the White House in January 1989, EPA was less than two decades old, and many laws and regulations now central to its mission had yet to be put on paper. The agency was far from confronting the threat of 'forever chemicals' nor had it tackled the perils of acid rain and was just beginning to take stock of the potentially catastrophic effects of a thinning stratospheric ozone layer. Advertisement Those latter two programs sprang from the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, which also dramatically expanded the list of pollutants EPA had to regulate because they were harmful to people's health. 'Do you know how many hazardous air pollutants there were in the 1980s? Four,' said David Doniger, a senior attorney and strategist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. 'And in the 1990 Clean Air Act, Congress listed 187.' Doniger, who worked at EPA in the late 1990s, said the amendments also boosted the industries EPA was compelled to regulate from a handful to dozens. Reagan's EPA also didn't regulate climate pollution. The first global climate agreement was reached in 1992, and the agency didn't begin setting standards for pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane until former President Barack Obama's second term, two decades later. Each new program added to the agency's workload, which in turn increased the number of employees needed to conduct analyses, craft rules, issue permits and meet deadlines set by Congress. And lately, EPA staffers have strained to keep up with lawmakers' renewed gusto for the earmarked pet projects often dubbed 'pork.' 'Trying to run the agency down' EPA employees and supporters take part in a national march in protest over Trump administration policies March 25 in Philadelphia. | Matt Rourke/AP Even before Zeldin unveiled his agency restructuring plan last week, EPA has been hard-pressed to handle all its congressionally assigned chores, no matter who's in the White House. During Obama's tenure, for example, it took a string of lawsuits brought by environmental groups to force the agency to belatedly launch updates to hazardous air pollutant standards for industries ranging from boat builders to steelmakers. Perhaps the biggest winner under Zeldin's plan so far would be EPA's chemicals office, which would gain experts to help whittle away a backlog of new products needing reviews before going on the market. New positions in the air and water offices have also been listed on EPA's internal job board. Overall, however, EPA operations are certain to shrink as the White House seeks to slash the agency's budget by more than half for the fiscal year that begins in October. 'For years, it's been defending being late on things by saying, 'Well, Congress has not given us enough money or people,'' said Doniger. 'And here you have the Trump administration trying to run the agency down well below the levels of money appropriated by Congress.' Zeldin frames the planned overhaul as an effort to refocus EPA's work on its statutory responsibilities, a reading that appears to largely exclude attempts to address the spiraling menace posed by climate change. While greenhouse gas emissions aren't explicitly listed in the Clean Air Act and its amendments, the Supreme Court has ruled that six gases meet the statute's definition as pollutants and EPA in 2009 determined that they endanger public health and welfare. That finding, which forms the basis of EPA's climate rules, is now being reconsidered. What is the right number? In announcing the initial phase of the restructuring last week, Zeldin said it would save more than $300 million next year as part of a broader retrenchment expected to result in 'employment levels near those' of Reagan's tenure. Exactly what that means, however, is murky. As POLITICO's E&E News has previously reported, the ranks of EPA employees fluctuated widely and actually grew during Reagan's eight-year tenure, from a low of about 10,800 in fiscal 1983 to a high of roughly 14,400 in fiscal 1988. That latter figure is close to the most recent available total for EPA's core workforce of 14,733, according to agency records for the first fiscal quarter of 2025 obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Asked Tuesday what the EPA boss thinks is the right number, spokesperson Molly Vaseliou reiterated another Zeldin statement that says the reorganization 'will bring much needed efficiencies to incorporate science into our rulemakings and sharply focus our work on providing the cleanest air, land, and water.' Vaseliou also did not address queries seeking Zeldin's rationale for believing that decades-old workforce levels — when both the United States' population and gross domestic product were well below today's totals — are now appropriate in light of EPA's added responsibilities. To critics, such questions are beside the point. They view the entire restructuring plan as a bad-faith exercise aimed at gutting the agency's ability to protect human health and the environment. 'I'm not sure what problem they're trying to solve by doing this, other than the desire to just disrupt, to keep people from doing research and, wanting to de-emphasize the role of science,' said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who retired in 2021 as the principal deputy assistant administrator in the Office of Research and Development. 'New responsibilities' for the water program Congress has amended the Clean Water Act twice and the Safe Drinking Water Act seven times since 1985, adding to the workload in EPA's water office. EPA's program for cleaning up estuaries, for example, wasn't created until 1987. In addition, a major federal credit program for water infrastructure projects, WIFIA, was established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act in 2014. WIFIA has been popular among lawmakers and local officials, but it takes EPA staff to process loan applications and ensure funding gets out the door, said Mae Wu, who was deputy assistant administrator for water under the Biden administration. 'For a lot of water systems that can't get grants, this low-interest loan is how they're able to update their treatment plant, their water infrastructure, or all their leaking pipes,' Wu said. During the Reagan administration, the water sector wasn't facing the same challenges as today, such as 'forever chemicals' and cybersecurity threats. Notably, Zeldin's reorganization plan included a pledge to boost the water office's focus on cybersecurity. But it would also eliminate the Office of Science and Technology, a division within the water office that sets limits for industrial discharges of dangerous pollutants and toxic chemicals. Under Reagan, EPA mostly focused on controlling specific 'point sources' of pollution, said Betsy Southerland, a former longtime career staffer. It wasn't until the 1990s that the agency expanded its focus on stormwater runoff and set technology-based pollution standards for various industries, Southerland said. While it's unclear how the reorganization could affect staffing levels in the water office, returning staff to Reagan-era levels would be 'totally inadequate,' said Southerland, who retired in 2017. 'It would certainly make them prone to litigation, because they're going to miss a lot of deadlines on these new responsibilities if they cut the staff back,' she said. Southerland is also worried about eliminating the water program's Office of Science and Technology, which she previously led. The office develops health advisories for pollutants in waterways that can be detrimental to human health. 'They don't want to have a scientist focused in a single area where they can really build their expertise and ensure the highest quality risk assessments,' Southerland said of the Trump EPA. 'So they're taking the scientists concentrated in the Office of Science and Technology and putting them in other offices.' Other water office divisions have also been given more responsibilities in recent years by Congress. Lawmakers have approved hundreds of earmarks for upgrades to drinking water and wastewater plants, for example. But EPA has struggled to process those earmarks and get the funding out the door, as staffing hasn't kept up with demand, former career staffers say. 'Proactive or reactive?' Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin touring contaminated sites in St. Louis in March. | @epaleezeldin/X Zeldin plans to reassign at least 100 staffers from the research office to help expedite reviews in the New Chemicals Division, which has struggled to keep up with the pace. EPA wasn't required to approve new chemicals before they entered the market until 2016, when Congress passed sweeping amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act. The agency had the option to evaluate new chemicals for safety under the original 1976 law, but the new amendments mandated assessors complete reviews within 90 days or 180 days if extended. Approximately 500 chemical applications await review, a backlog that industry lobbying groups such as the American Chemistry Council complain is hindering U.S. manufacturing. Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the council, has said the answer lies with creating a more efficient process. Zeldin's move to juice the program with additional staffers grants wishes — at least in part — from agency staffers who for years have been swamped with too few resources and far more responsibilities under the revamped TSCA. How much money Congress will direct to TSCA is unclear, but its latest spending package provided $17 million for new tech updates to its notoriously clunky chemical data dashboard. Regarding polluted sites, the Reagan administration was the first to implement the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act — better known as Superfund. The first Trump administration prioritized Superfund cleanups, and Zeldin has signaled he intends to follow suit. In recent media appearances, Zeldin has said he wants every dollar EPA spends to go 'directly towards remediating the environmental issue that needs attention.' EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management is among seven other program offices still awaiting reorganization plans. The office houses Superfund as well as the brownfields program, established in 1995 to help clean up dilapidated former industrial sites. Orme-Zavaleta said Zeldin's push to bring EPA 'back to the basics' misses what its mission has evolved into: preventative measures. 'If you look at the whole evolution of the agency, the early focus very much was, command and control … that evolved into a lot of focus on risk,' she said. 'It's a matter of, do you want to be proactive or reactive? Remediation is reactive. So you're not fixing the problem. You're just cleaning up the spill after it's already happened.' An 'extinction event' for climate? In the final year of Reagan's presidency, James Hansen, then the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told a Senate committee that the 'greenhouse effect' was already affecting the global climate. A few years later, the U.S. became a party to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. That treaty, which was approved by the Senate, obligates the U.S. to join other rich nations in reporting climate emissions annually to the United Nations. EPA submitted that inventory every year from the late 1990s until this year. EPA's Office of Air and Radiation is responsible for most of EPA's climate work. It writes rules; runs voluntary emissions abatement programs; and oversees programs to quantify emissions, including the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, to which 8,000 high-emitting facilities report each year, and the annual inventory of emissions and sinks. But the Trump EPA has thrown many of those programs on the chopping block. EPA's plans for the 2009 endangerment finding could end its climate regulatory program, except for climate-forcing hydroflurocarbons that are regulated under a 2020 law. And, as E&E News reported Monday, EPA plans to eliminate Energy Star, a decades-old appliance efficiency program. The reorganization plan reflects the Trump administration's goal of getting out of the climate mitigation business almost entirely. The agency's Office of Atmospheric Protection, which houses those programs, would be scrapped with no clear plan for who would handle that work. It has about 300 employees involved in climate issues, and their former colleagues say they're bracing for job cuts tied to Friday's announcement. One former OAR official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters said the reorganization was like 'an extinction event' for climate work at the agency. But in a video posted to EPA's website, Zeldin touted the administration's accomplishments thus far as 'just the beginning.' 'We have four more years of victories ahead of us,' he said, 'and EPA is proud to do its part to power the great American comeback and ensure a cleaner planet for future generations.' Sean Reilly can be reached on Signal at SeanReilly.70. Ellie Borst can be reached on Signal at eborst.64. Miranda Willson can be reached on Signal at mirandawillson.99. Jean Chemnick can be reached on Signal at jchemnick.01. Reporter Kevin Bogardus contributed.
The Intercept
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Intercept
Elon Musk Set to Win Big With Trump's Trillion-Dollar Pentagon Budget
The White House unveiled a barebones budget blueprint last week that would pump more of the federal budget into the Pentagon while taking a chainsaw to education, foreign aid, health care and public assistance programs. While some analysts claim that the outline, also known as a 'skinny budget,' represents a modest cut to Pentagon spending, that fails to take into account the White House's call for $119 billion in defense spending to be included in a reconciliation bill currently being debated in Congress. With that added to the base budget proposal, which keeps the Pentagon budget at roughly the same $893 billion level as last year, total defense spending would increase by 13 percent to $1 trillion. Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a personal adviser to the president, claimed that he would cut costs at the Pentagon with his minions at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Instead, experts say that, if approved, Donald Trump's bloated Pentagon budget will almost certainly benefit Musk and his company SpaceX with huge new projects. The first is a missile shield, dubbed the Golden Dome, which is reminiscent of the Reagan-era 'Star Wars' missile-defense boondoggle. Trump's budget plan also calls for an undisclosed flood of funding for 'U.S. space dominance to strengthen U.S. national security.' 'No matter how you slice it, the Pentagon budget is obscenely high at a time when the fundamentals of our diplomatic infrastructure are being decimated, the social safety net is being shredded, and medical and scientific research are under attack,' William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told The Intercept. 'Add to this that the funds for the Pentagon have as much to do with pork barrel politics and techno-fantasies like the Golden Dome as they do with a sound defense strategy, and it becomes clear that current resources going to the Pentagon are not only excessive but are more likely to undermine than promote our security.' 'Current resources going to the Pentagon are not only excessive but are more likely to undermine than promote our security.' Trump's Golden Dome appears to be little more than a warmed-over version of the 1980s Strategic Defense Initiative, a fanciful project that hoped to shoot down Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, retitled with a name swiped from Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defense. Its ultimate price tag is estimated in the hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars. Musk's SpaceX has emerged as a front-runner to win crucial parts of the Golden Dome project, which aims to build a network of satellites to detect and track missiles streaking toward the United States. SpaceX not only manufactures rockets that can launch military payloads into space, but also satellites that can provide surveillance and targeting technology. The firm is already the top Pentagon supplier of launch services and low-Earth-orbit communications systems. Unlike Israel's Iron Dome, which defends that tiny country against short-range threats, America's Golden Dome would need to cover a much larger area against a more challenging range of weapons, including ICBMs and hypersonic missiles. Even if blanketing the United States with these defenses were economically feasible, the technology isn't. 'The Golden Dome is basically a fantasy,' said Gabe Murphy, a policy analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan budget watchdog advocating for an end to wasteful spending. Israel's system needs to defend just 8,500 square miles, while the U.S. system needs to cover 3.8 million. 'Physicists say that this technology to defend against ICBMs and hypersonic missiles doesn't exist. Funneling tens, perhaps hundreds, of billions of dollars into technology with only a faint hope of success is extremely wasteful.' SpaceX has proposed providing its Golden Dome technology to the Defense Department through a 'subscription service,' according to reporting by Reuters. Pentagon officials and experts have expressed concerns about this unusual model for a critical defense program, which runs the risk of leading to cost overruns and a lack of oversight and control over the program. 'Building 600 to 1,200 satellites doesn't mean you can actually defend the United States against ICBMs and hypersonic missiles.' 'With his subscription model plan, Musk is looking to both retain control of these systems and keep taxpayer dollars flowing his way,' said Murphy. 'But just like a blue check mark doesn't make you famous, building 600 to 1,200 satellites doesn't mean you can actually defend the United States against ICBMs and hypersonic missiles.' A group of 42 Democratic lawmakers has already called for a review by the Pentagon's acting inspector general of Musk's role in the bidding process for the missile defense shield. 'Mr. Musk, in addition to his role at SpaceX, is a Special Government Employee (SGE), Senior Advisor to President Trump, and a key official at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),' the lawmakers wrote. 'Mr. Musk's formal or informal participation in any process to award a government contract raises serious conflict of interest concerns, including the possibility that SpaceX is a top contender for the Golden Dome contract because of Mr. Musk's position in the government.' If the inspector general launches an inquiry and finds Musk provided an advantage to SpaceX in the bidding process, the lawmakers requested the findings be referred to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation. SpaceX broke into major defense contracting through the courts. In 2014, the company sued the Air Force after it awarded a sole-source contract for rocket launches to a Boeing–Lockheed Martin joint venture called United Launch Alliance, arguing that opening the contract up to competition could save the government hundreds of millions of dollars per launch. SpaceX prevailed, and now has, according to many observers, a near-monopoly on the U.S. satellite launch market. SpaceX's chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell said the company has about $22 billion in government contracts, mostly from NASA. But SpaceX's deals with the Pentagon have ballooned — totaling almost $8 billion — as it has provided an increasing number of services to the Defense Department. NASA is slated for a budget cut under Trump's plan, but SpaceX is still likely to win big. Trump's budget blueprint takes aim at the old guard of the military–industrial complex, including the rivals SpaceX displaced to gain its foothold at the Pentagon. Trump is calling for NASA to end funding for the Space Launch System, a massive Boeing and Northrop Grumman rocket, and Lockheed Martin's Orion astronaut capsule, which was to be employed to take the U.S. back to the moon. SpaceX recently won an $843 million contract to 'de-orbit' the International Space Station when it is retired in 2030. Musk urged Trump to speed up its demise and focus on his own pet project, posting on his own website, 'Let's go to Mars.' To that end, Trump's cancellation of key parts of NASA's lunar program allows for a Mars-focused agenda. His budget blueprint also calls for $1 billion in new spending to specifically focus on a mission to the red planet. Colonizing Mars has long been one of Musk's leading obsessions. Cutting the United States out of the equation and violating international law appears to be part of his plan. The terms of service agreement for SpaceX's Starlink internet service offers up a Wild West vision for that planet: 'For Services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other spacecraft, the parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities. Accordingly, Disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement.' SpaceX is already taking aim at Mars with its heavy-lift Starship rocket, and Musk is publicly calling for 'direct, rather than representative, democracy' on the planet. 'The Martians will decide how they are ruled,' he wrote on X late last year. But the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, under which the United Nations declared a set of principles for space, unequivocally states that outer space is 'the province of all mankind' and subject to international law. 'This is an unelected billionaire who is taking a sledgehammer to essential programs for diplomacy and basic support for Americans in need.' Trump's indulgence of Musk's Martian fantasies with U.S. tax dollars, Musk's billions in contracts with NASA and the Pentagon, and the additional billions his company stands to reap from Trump's fantastical Golden Dome project all raise profound pay-to-play issues. These new contracts and budget priorities are 'all coming to a man who spent close to $290 million getting Trump and other Republicans elected. This is an unelected billionaire who is taking a sledgehammer to essential programs for diplomacy and basic support for Americans in need,' Hartung told The Intercept. 'The conflict of interest is jaw-dropping, and his power — and how he is wielding it — is obscene.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EPA chief Zeldin announces overhauls to bring agency back to Reagan-level staffing
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a massive overhaul to slash staffing down to Reagan-era levels and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, agency chief Lee Zeldin announced on Friday. "This reorganization will bring much-needed efficiencies to incorporate science into our rulemakings and sharply focus our work on providing the cleanest air, land, and water for our communities," Zeldin said in a press release on Friday. Zeldin announced that he is on a mission to save taxpayers an estimated $300 million annually by next year through an office overhaul that he said will maintain the EPA's focus on protecting human health and the environment while "recommitting" the agency to "common sense policies." The EPA employs roughly 15,000 full-time workers, which Zeldin said he is working to bring down to levels "near those seen when President Ronald Reagan occupied the White House," according to a video announcement of the office overhauls. There were 11,400 EPA staffers in 1984 under the Reagan administration, Reuters reported. 35 Democrats Vote With Gop To Block Biden Rule Allowing Newsom's Gas Car Ban The EPA said the Office of the Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), and Office of Water will all face restructuring. Read On The Fox News App Zeldin said he will reorganize the agency's research office to shift its focus on "statutory obligations and mission-essential functions," including by creating a new office called the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions. The new office will "prioritize research and put science at the forefront of the agency's rulemakings and technical assistance to states. At the program level, the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention will add more than 130 scientific, technical, bioinformatic and information technology experts to work directly on the backlog of over 504 new chemicals in review that are beyond the statutorily required timeframe. And they're also going to address the backlog of over 12,000 reviews that are well beyond the expected review timelines in the pesticides program," Zeldin said. Epa Chief Takes On Mexican 'Sewage Crisis' Flowing Into Us Waters Where Navy Seals Train The EPA will also create the Office of State Air Partnerships within the Office of Air and Radiation, which Zeldin said will streamline resolving air permitting concerns across the state, local and tribal levels. "EPA is also creating the Office of Clean Air programs that will align statutory obligations and mission essential functions based on centers of expertise to ensure more transparency and harmony in regulatory development. Similarly, changes to the Office of Water will better align the development of regulations, guidance and policy with the science that underpins it," Zeldin added of another new office in the agency shakeup. Peta, Animal Rights Groups Praise Trump Admin For Phasing Out 'Cruel Tests On Dogs' And Other Animals Zeldin underscored that when he took the reins of the agency earlier this year, he "inherited a workforce that didn't come into the office." "In 2024, the record high day of attendance at EPA headquarters in D.C., clocked in around 37%. Upon President Trump's swearing in, we immediately ended COVID-era remote work," Zeldin said. Scoop: Biden-era Grant Program Described As 'Gold Bar' Scheme By Trump Epa Administrator Under Scrutiny The former New York congressman added that EPA's budget and awards in granted last year alone, under the Biden administration, sat at $63 billion — though it had previously been funded to the tune of between $6 billion and $8 billion a year, he said. "We are going to massively reduce this excess spending. We owe it to the American taxpayer to be as efficient as possible. We've already started to make significant progress by re-examining grants and contracts, real estate footprint, travel costs, staff and more. With the help of DOGE, EPA has identified and canceled more than $22 billion in grants and contracts. These are direct savings for the American people," Zeldin article source: EPA chief Zeldin announces overhauls to bring agency back to Reagan-level staffing
Fox News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
EPA chief Zeldin announces overhauls to bring agency back to Reagan-level staffing
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a massive overhaul to slash staffing down to Reagan-era levels and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, agency chief Lee Zeldin announced on Friday. "This reorganization will bring much-needed efficiencies to incorporate science into our rulemakings and sharply focus our work on providing the cleanest air, land, and water for our communities," Zeldin said in a press release on Friday. Zeldin announced that he is on a mission to save taxpayers an estimated $300 million annually by next year through an office overhaul that he said will maintain the EPA's focus on protecting human health and the environment while "recommitting" the agency to "common sense policies." The EPA employs roughly 15,000 full-time workers, which Zeldin said he is working to bring down to levels "near those seen when President Ronald Reagan occupied the White House," according to a video announcement of the office overhauls. There were 11,400 EPA staffers in 1984 under the Reagan administration, Reuters reported. The EPA said the Office of the Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), and Office of Water will all face restructuring. Zeldin said he will reorganize the agency's research office to shift its focus on "statutory obligations and mission-essential functions," including by creating a new office called the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions. The new office will "prioritize research and put science at the forefront of the agency's rulemakings and technical assistance to states. At the program level, the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention will add more than 130 scientific, technical, bioinformatic and information technology experts to work directly on the backlog of over 504 new chemicals in review that are beyond the statutorily required timeframe. And they're also going to address the backlog of over 12,000 reviews that are well beyond the expected review timelines in the pesticides program," Zeldin said. The EPA will also create the Office of State Air Partnerships within the Office of Air and Radiation, which Zeldin said will streamline resolving air permitting concerns across the state, local and tribal levels. "EPA is also creating the Office of Clean Air programs that will align statutory obligations and mission essential functions based on centers of expertise to ensure more transparency and harmony in regulatory development. Similarly, changes to the Office of Water will better align the development of regulations, guidance and policy with the science that underpins it," Zeldin added of another new office in the agency shakeup. Zeldin underscored that when he took the reins of the agency earlier this year, he "inherited a workforce that didn't come into the office." "In 2024, the record high day of attendance at EPA headquarters in D.C., clocked in around 37%. Upon President Trump's swearing in, we immediately ended COVID-era remote work," Zeldin said. The former New York congressman added that EPA's budget and awards in granted last year alone, under the Biden administration, sat at $63 billion — though it had previously been funded to the tune of between $6 billion and $8 billion a year, he said. "We are going to massively reduce this excess spending. We owe it to the American taxpayer to be as efficient as possible. We've already started to make significant progress by re-examining grants and contracts, real estate footprint, travel costs, staff and more. With the help of DOGE, EPA has identified and canceled more than $22 billion in grants and contracts. These are direct savings for the American people," Zeldin said.
