Zeldin confirmed Monday that he had accepted the offer. to post Saying it was an “honour” to join X Trump’s new cabinet.

“We will restore U.S. energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the United States the global leader in artificial intelligence,” Zeldin wrote. “We will do this by protecting access to clean air and water.”

In a separate statement, Trump said he offered the former congressman the role, describing the Republican as “a true warrior of America First policies.”

Trump stated that new EPA leadership would prioritize rolling back EPA rules from the Biden administration, saying Zeldin, if confirmed, would “ensure that fair and swift deregulatory decisions will take effect that will unleash the power of American businesses.” “We have taken the time to maintain the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.”

As of Monday, the United States ranked 16th for air quality and 26th for sanitation and drinking water in the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy’s Environmental Performance Index.

Trump said Zeldin “will set new standards for environmental review and care that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.”

Trump promised throughout his campaign to roll back key climate-related rules the EPA issued this year, including the controversial power plant pollution rule.

The rule, which took effect on July 8, targets carbon pollution from power plants in an effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions. It orders existing coal plants and new natural gas-fired plants to reduce their emissions by 2032 by implementing carbon capture and storage technologies. This rule has been around for months dozens of people objected Republican-led states. Trump has previously called the rule a “disaster” for the US

Zeldin will need to be confirmed by the Senate before rising to the top of the EPA. But with Republicans controlling the chamber, the new Trump administration is likely to face several hurdles in the process.

Monday’s announcement came as a surprise to many because Zeldin had not previously been cited as a top candidate for the position heading into the election.

Previously, former Trump administration officials and conservative allies had suspected that Andrew Wheeler, who led the agency from 2019 to 2021, would be appointed to the post once again. Other questionable candidates included former EPA official Mandy Gunasekara, former EPA Texas regional administrator Anne Austin and Trump’s former ambassador to Denmark, Carla Sands. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has also been floated as a possible candidate for Trump’s “energy czar.”

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Before being offered the EPA administrator position, Zeldin represented New York’s first congressional district from 2015 to 2023. His time in Congress ends with him running for governor in 2022. Zeldin lost to Democrat Kathy Hochul.

If confirmed, Zeldin would serve in Trump’s cabinet alongside Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who was chosen as Trump’s UN ambassador.