{"id":91906,"date":"2026-04-28T13:42:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fallsurfing.net\/firstnews\/epa-chief-zeldin-vs-delauro-youre-a-member-of-congress-you-should-know-these-supreme-court-rulings\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T13:42:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:42:51","slug":"epa-chief-zeldin-vs-delauro-youre-a-member-of-congress-you-should-know-these-supreme-court-rulings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fallsurfing.net\/firstnews\/epa-chief-zeldin-vs-delauro-youre-a-member-of-congress-you-should-know-these-supreme-court-rulings\/","title":{"rendered":"EPA Chief Zeldin vs. DeLauro: You’re A Member Of Congress, You Should Know These Supreme Court Rulings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, battled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin over the administration’s plan to scale back climate change priorities, and radically reduce the agency’s footprint in next year’s budget<\/a>. DeLauro called EPA budget cuts and the rollback of regulations a “climate change denier’s manifesto,” but Zeldin cited several recent Supreme Court cases to justify the moves, including: <\/p>\n

– Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo<\/i><\/a> ended the so-called “Chevron deference,” which had allowed federal agencies to broadly interpret statutes passed by Congress and take actions based on those interpretations. – West Virginia v. EPA<\/i><\/a> holds that executive agencies cannot make sweeping policy decisions-such as nationwide climate rules-without clear direction from Congress. – Michigan v. EPA<\/i><\/a> requires agencies to consider economic costs when making new regulations on business or activity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Zeldin argued these rulings limit the EPA’s authority to regulate climate change without explicit congressional direction and put decades of agency rules based on broad statutory interpretation into question. “You’re very defensive about not knowing the two biggest landmark Supreme Court cases of the last year, with regard to your question,” Zeldin told DeLauro. Ranking member DeLauro tried to wield the power of the Appropriations Committee to shut him up: “You’re here because you need money from us! So halt for a second and wait for the questions! And answer the questions.” “I answered your question, and you didn’t like my answer because you don’t know what Loper Bright is, or what the Major Policies Doctrine is,” Zeldin said. “What you do for your constituents is actually read statutes!” “This budget is at real risk. This is the Appropriations Committee,” DeLauro said. ” Your argument is BS.” “BS? You think I made up these cases?” said Zeldin. Find the full hearing below: <\/p>\n

REP. ROSA DELAURO: The budget proposal reads like a climate change denier’s manifesto, when climate change is flooding our streets, poisoning our air, driving up healthcare and disaster costs, how can the EPA justify abandoning that duty to protect Americans? To appease polluters under the false flag of economic growth? EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: Following the law? Under the Clean Air Act, where does it say anything about fighting global climate change? Loper Bright [Enterprises v. Raimondo<\/i>]<\/a>, the Supreme Court case. Are you familiar with it? REP. ROSA DELAURO: No, maybe others are. I’m not. EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: But that’s really important. As a member of Congress, Loper Bright says that we, as an agency, don’t have the authority to get creative if Section 202 of the Clean Air Act doesn’t– REP. ROSA DELAURO: No, no, you do not have the right to say climate change does not exist, that it’s a hoax. And that is where this administration is coming from! EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: I understand you’re upset that you don’t know what Loper Bright is. Do you know what the Major Policies Doctrine is? REP. ROSA DELAURO: No, I’m upset because.– EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: You’re a member of Congress; you should know… REP. ROSA DELAURO: You have moved from someone who defended the environment to all of a sudden– EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: You’re very defensive about not knowing the two biggest Supreme Court cases of the last year with regards to your question… REP. ROSA DELAURO: You are very defensive about changing your policy and position with regard to the environment! EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: Do you want me to tell you what the two biggest Supreme Court cases of the last few years? Michigan v. EPA. West Virginia v. EPA. REP. ROSA DELAURO: You’re here because you need money from us! So halt for a second and wait for the questions! And answer the questions. EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: Well, I answered your question, and you didn’t like my answer because you don’t know what Loper Bright is, because you don’t know what the Major Policies Doctrine is. You’re asking me about Section 202 of the Clean Air Act, and you don’t read it. You don’t know what it says. REP. ROSA DELAURO: Listen, what you want to do is dey– EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: I actually read the law. I do my homework. You’re just somebody who likes to have the microphone on. You know what I have to do? I read the law; I read the Supreme Court cases. REP. ROSA DELAURO: I don’t have to listen to this. And I would say EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: What you do for your constituents is actually read statutes! REP. ROSA DELAURO: This budget is at real risk. This is the Appropriations Committee. EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: Read your Supreme Court. You care about science; now you’re threatening to defund it? REP. ROSA DELAURO: No, you don’t fund science. EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: Because you don’t know what Loper Bright is, or what the Major Policies Doctrine is, your message to our folks at the EPS is you want to defund us? REP. ROSA DELAURO: Your argument is BS. EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: BS? You think I made up these cases? REP. ROSA DELAURO: Yes you have made up a whole lot about them. EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN: I made up Loper Bright? I made up Michigan v. EPA? I made up West Virginia v. EPA?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n