Lee Zeldin: Education, Career, and Public Service

Lee Michael Zeldin, born on January 30, 1980, is an American lawyer, politician, and former Army intelligence officer. He has held various positions throughout his career, including representing New York's 1st district in the United States House of Representatives and currently serving as the 17th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Early Life and Education

Lee Zeldin was born in East Meadow, New York, and grew up in Suffolk County, New York. He pursued his higher education at the SUNY University at Albany, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 2001. Following his undergraduate studies, he attended Albany Law School, obtaining a law degree in 2003.

Military Service

In 2003, Zeldin joined the United States Army as a second lieutenant. He served in the Military Intelligence Corps. He transitioned from active duty to the Army Reserve in 2007. Subscribers to LegiStorm Pro see a military history for Lee Michael Zeldin. Any military duties or awards we have will show up here for LegiStorm Pro subscribers.

Early Career

After his active military service, Zeldin worked as a lawyer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 2007. In 2008, he opened his own law firm in Smithtown, New York.

New York State Senate

In 2010, Zeldin entered the political arena by running for the New York State Senate in the 3rd District. He successfully challenged the incumbent Democratic senator, Brian X. Foley, securing 57% of the votes.

During his tenure in the State Senate (2011-2014), Zeldin was involved in several legislative initiatives. In 2011, he contributed to passing a law that limited property tax increases to 2%. However, he voted against the Marriage Equality Act in June 2011, which legalized same-sex marriage in New York. He supported a $250 million cut to the MTA payroll tax in December 2011. Zeldin was not present for the vote on the NY SAFE Act, a gun control bill, in January 2013 due to Army Reserve duty, but later stated he would have voted against it. In February 2014, he introduced a bill aimed at halting the Common Core curriculum for three years and also voted against the New York Dream Act in March 2014.

U.S. House of Representatives

Zeldin's career progressed to the national level when he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 1st district. He faced Tim Bishop in 2014 and secured the seat. He ran for reelection in 2016, 2018, and 2020, facing no opposition in the Republican primary in those years. Subscribers to LegiStorm Pro see a legislative history for Lee Michael Zeldin. All legislative offices we have listed for Lee Michael Zeldin will be available to LegiStorm Pro subscribers.

Legislative Actions and Stances

During his time in the House, Zeldin was involved in various legislative actions and expressed his views on key issues. In July 2015, he added an amendment to a bill that allowed states to choose not to use Common Core without being penalized.

On environmental issues, Zeldin expressed doubts about the severity of climate change in 2014. In April 2015, he introduced a bill to change how fluke fishing limits were set. In July 2015, he introduced a bill to change the boundary of a federal fishing zone, aiming to give New York and Rhode Island control over fishing in Block Island Sound, though the bill did not pass. He opposed a plan to dump waste materials in the Long Island Sound in September 2015. In April 2018, Zeldin stated his opposition to the Paris Agreement in its current form.

Regarding foreign policy, Zeldin and other representatives sought visas to visit Iran in 2016 to assess the Iran nuclear deal framework. He supported moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018 and praised the Abraham Accords.

On healthcare, Zeldin voted against the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a bill he co-sponsored, which would prohibit abortions in cases where the fetus's probable age is 20 weeks or more, with exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life was in danger.

In 2015, Zeldin helped introduce two bills to combat Lyme disease. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he assisted Suffolk County in obtaining over 1.2 million pieces of personal protective equipment. In April 2016, he introduced a bill to prevent the federal government from selling Plum Island to the highest bidder.

Regarding social issues, after the Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage in June 2015, Zeldin stated the issue should have been decided by states. A month later, he supported a bill that would protect individuals and groups who believe marriage is only between a man and a woman, a bill that faced criticism for potentially leading to discrimination. In May 2019, Zeldin voted against the Equality Act, but in July 2022, he was among 47 Republican representatives who voted for the Respect for Marriage Act.

On tax policy, Zeldin expressed dissatisfaction with a proposed Republican tax bill in November 2017, citing concerns about removing the state and local tax deduction (SALT). He ultimately voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 in December 2017.

Affiliations and Political Positions

Zeldin is considered a close ally of Donald Trump. He endorsed Trump for president on May 3, 2016. During a government shutdown, Zeldin voted against funding the government. He defended Trump during his first impeachment hearings, which centered on Trump's request for the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden. After Trump's loss in the 2020 presidential election, Zeldin was among 126 Republican House members who supported a lawsuit challenging the election results, though the Supreme Court did not hear the case. Following the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Zeldin voted against certifying the election results for Arizona and Pennsylvania.

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In February 2015, Zeldin introduced his first bill to remove the dollar limit for loans that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs can guarantee for veterans.

Bills and Resolutions in the 116th Congress

During the 116th United States Congress (January 9, 2019 - January 3, 2021), Zeldin participated in votes on various bills and resolutions, including:

Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020 (H.R. 1044): Aimed to increase the cap on employment-based visas and establish rules governing such visas.
The Heroes Act (H.R. 6800): Sought to address the COVID-19 outbreak with individual payments, eviction and foreclosure moratoriums, contact tracing and testing funding, and emergency appropriations to federal agencies.
For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1): Focused on election security, campaign funding rules, ethics provisions, independent redistricting commissions, and tax return release rules for presidential candidates.
CARES Act (H.R. 748): Expanded unemployment benefits, provided individual payments, funded SNAP benefits, and allocated funds for businesses, hospitals, and state/local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Equality Act (H.R. 5): Sought to ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 (H.R. 8): Aimed to ban firearm transfers between private parties without a licensed gun dealer conducting a background check.
American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R.6): Focused on protecting certain immigrants from removal proceedings and providing a path to permanent resident status.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790): Set policies and appropriations for the Department of Defense.
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201): Addressed the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to unemployment benefits and food assistance, increasing funding for Medicaid, providing free COVID-19 testing, and requiring paid sick time for employees affected by COVID-19.
Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (H.R. 1994): Sought to change requirements for employer-provided retirement plans, IRAs, and other tax-favored savings accounts.
Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3): Aimed to address healthcare prices by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate drug prices and requiring drug manufacturers to issue rebates for certain drugs covered under Medicare.
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865): Provided appropriations for federal agencies in fiscal year 2020.
Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (S. 1838): Imposed sanctions for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.
MORE Act of 2020 (H.R. 3884): Sought to decriminalize marijuana by removing it as a scheduled controlled substance and eliminating criminal penalties for manufacturing, distributing, or possessing marijuana.
Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074): Provided emergency funding to federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.J.Res. 31): Provided appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019.
John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47): Set provisions for federal land management and conservation.
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395): Set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021.
Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (S.24): Required federal employees who were furloughed or compelled to work during a lapse in government funding to be compensated for that time.
Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors: Resolution to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress.

2022 New York Gubernatorial Campaign

In April 2021, Zeldin announced his candidacy for governor of New York in 2022. He garnered support from Republican leaders and raised significant funds for his campaign. In March 2022, he officially received the Republican Party's nomination for governor.

During his campaign, Zeldin promised to reverse New York state's 2015 ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and spoke against New York's bail reform law.

On July 21, 2022, Zeldin was attacked at a campaign event. Despite the incident, he continued his campaign but ultimately lost the election to the incumbent governor, Kathy Hochul, receiving 46.8% of the vote compared to Hochul's 53.2%.

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

In November 2024, news reports indicated that Lee Zeldin was President Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His confirmation hearing took place on January 16, 2025. During the hearing, Zeldin acknowledged climate change as a real issue that needs to be addressed. He was sworn into office as the 17th Administrator of the EPA on January 29, 2025.

EPA Under Zeldin's Leadership

Since assuming office, Zeldin has initiated plans to cancel numerous environmental rules, including protections for wetlands, limits on pollution from vehicles and factories, and the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gases. He is also facilitating the process for reversing the endangerment finding, which is the federal position that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger the public.

In March 2025, a nonprofit group that received government funding for climate projects sued the EPA, alleging that the agency unfairly stopped their grant. By April 15, nearly 70 coal power plants had received exceptions from environmental regulations. In May 2025, the EPA reduced limits on forever chemicals in drinking water.

Zeldin has been criticized for his anti-environmental policies and ties to the fossil fuel industry. He has a history of climate skepticism and opposing climate change mitigation measures. Zeldin has received a lifetime score of just 14% from the League of Conservation Voters, voting against protecting the environment at least 164 times as a Congressional Representative for NY’s first Congressional district. In 2017, Zeldin voted to slash the EPA’s budget by $1.9 billion, or 25 percent.

Praise for Zeldin's EPA

The EPA has released a list of organizations praising the agency’s actions. There were no environmental or public health groups listed; instead there were fossil fuel trade groups; conservative policy groups with fossil fuel industry backing, and members of Congress who have taken millions in campaign donations from the oil and gas sector over their careers.

Personal Life

Lee Zeldin was raised in a mix of Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism. His grandfathers were rabbis. His wife, Diana, is Mormon. They have twin daughters and live in Shirley, New York. Zeldin is a member of a Reform Jewish temple. On September 18, 2021, Zeldin announced that he had been diagnosed with leukemia in November 2020.

Financial Disclosures and Wealth

Lee Zeldin has filed personal financial disclosures. Subscribers to LegiStorm Pro see a summary of all personal financial disclosures filed by Lee Michael Zeldin, including some notable items LegiStorm editors have found on the disclosure. While it is difficult to ascertain Zeldin’s exact net worth, it is estimated at over $1.5 million. Zeldin has assets in real estate in Arizona that are at least $250,000, in addition to a mansion in Long Island where he resides with his family.

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