EPA Budget Slash: Trump's Plan, Democrats' Backlash

0:00On April 29th, the Trump administration just dropped a plan to slash the Environmental Protection Agency's budget in half down to $4.2 billion. EPA head Lee Zeldin says it's all about getting leaner and laser focus on core duties that help everyday Americans ditching what he calls bloated programs. Earlier this week in Congressional hearings, Zeldin laid out cuts to major climate initiatives state environmental aid and water project loans. While pumping more cash into faster permitting and fixing drinking water crises, he's already asked the billions and Biden-era grants for environmental justice enrolled back pollution rules on coal plants and vehicles. Democrats are firing back hard, calling it a fossil fuel wish list that ignores pollution's toll on health like cancers and asthma. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse warned of a massive reckoning for industry and reprosed the laurel slammed it as a climate deniers playbook, questioning how economic growth trumps public safety.

1:00Tensions boiled over in the hearings, Zeldin clashed with the laurel over the Clean Air Act, not mentioning climate change and a Supreme Court ruling, curbing EPA power. He dismissed data from rep Josh Harder as junk, telling him to let his dog pee on it. Congress holds the purse strings, though, and last year they only trimmed EPA spending by 3.5 percent, despite bigger cut requests. Eyes are on whether they'll stick to their guns this time or let these changes stick. From across the country, powered by AI, this is US News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.