Three takeaways from May's EPA budget hearing

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin returned to Capitol Hill earlier this month for another high-profile budget hearing, defending the Trump administration’s proposal to dramatically reduce EPA funding while reshaping the agency’s priorities.

The hearing quickly turned tense as senators from both parties questioned whether the EPA could continue handling core responsibilities, including permitting, enforcement, drinking water oversight, and state grant programs, under the proposed cuts. While Zeldin framed the effort as a “back-to-basics” restructuring focused on efficiency and infrastructure, critics warned the reductions could strain an agency already juggling growing environmental and industrial demands.