A group of 180 Democratic lawmakers wrote a Wednesday letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin raising concerns with new policies implemented under the Trump administration.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) and Don Beyer (Va.) all signed on to the write-up in protest of deregulation and legislative rollbacks.
“While countries around the world are clamoring for cleaner, cheaper, and more innovative technologies, you are actively hamstringing America’s homegrown clean energy industry, which has already injected $422 billion and 400,000 jobs into our economy in just the past two and a half years,” the bicameral group of legislators wrote.
“This is anything but unleashing American energy. At the same time, instead of lowering costs for American families, your actions will result in the opposite. Americans’ medical expenses will increase because your Polluters First agenda will allow particulate matter and other hazardous air pollution to go unchecked,” they added.
The Democrats said Zeldin was protecting the “special interest of big polluters” instead of American families.
In March, Zeldin signaled that he would slash Biden-era regulations geared towards preventing pollution and actions that contribute to climate change to boost the American economy through manufacturing and production.
“For every $1 the country spends to reduce air pollution, it’s estimated to yield $30 in economic benefits in return. Yet, you chose to unleash more air pollutants that are linked to Alzheimer’s, miscarriages, and childhood asthma, as well as other public health concerns,” lawmakers wrote.
“Your actions will needlessly increase American families’ exposure to the pollution that can make them sick and stick them with the bill for their care,” they added.
Democrats have largely protested the Trump administration’s changes to environmental protection standards with hopes of encouraging the president to change course on repeals.
Amid concerns, President Trump has shown no sign of letting up on the proposed policy.
The Hill reached out to the EPA for comment.
