
Last week, I watched the confirmation hearings for three of Trump’s most troubling cabinet nominees—Lee Zeldin, chosen to head EPA; Russell Vought, Trump’s pick for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB); and Chris Wright, the pick for Secretary of Energy.
These men would wield enormous power as the heads of federal agencies tasked with safeguarding our families from air pollution and climate disruption. As I watched them pander to corporate polluters with their responses to Senators’ questions, I thought about what 4 years of reckless and dangerous environmental agendas will mean for my grandson’s future.
Our Senators are getting ready to vote on these nominees, and they need to hear from you. It’s critical we let them know we’re paying attention.
Tell the Senate: Sound the Alarm on Reckless and Dangerous Cabinet Picks
Lee Zeldin has a terrible track record on reining in polluters. He has voted to cut EPA funding and to block EPA from cutting carbon pollution.
Senators must take a close look at Zeldin’s weak track record on public health. They must probe Zeldin’s industry-friendly agenda and scrutinize his commitment to EPA’s core mission of protecting all people and the environment from toxic chemicals, air pollution, and climate pollution.
Russell Vought is the architect of Project 2025, the conservative policy blueprint that aims to dismantle democracy as we know it. He has drastic plans to reshape our country’s institutions. And he can do this from his powerful position running OMB.
OMB is an agency most people have never heard of, but among other responsibilities, it reviews all federal regulations, including those that keep our air clean and cut climate pollution. OMB also develops and executes federal budgets, including budgets for agencies tasked with safeguarding public health, like EPA. Vought has promised to take down civil services across the board.
Chris Wright is a fossil fuel executive who denies the reality of increasingly intense extreme weather events, from hurricanes to wildfires. He has made clear that as Secretary of Energy he would shut down investments in cleaner energy, like solar and wind, putting the health of our families in jeopardy, driving up energy costs, and destroying vital job opportunities in our communities.
Nominees who deny science, including the importance of cutting carbon dioxide and methane pollution, present a test of leadership for Senators. We can only hope our Senators stand strong—their legacy will last generations. Voting on these nominations is not a matter of Republicans versus Democrats. Protecting the air our children breathe is mompartisan.
Tell your Senators you want leadership that will do the job of protecting the people. That is a right of everyone in the U.S., no matter their party affiliation.
Tell the Senate: Sound the Alarm on Reckless and Dangerous Cabinet Picks