Zeldin’s Environmental Voting Record Goes from Bad to Worse

In the first 3 years of Lee Zeldin’s congressional term (2015-2017), he earned a 10% scorecard rating from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). This means that he voted against the environment 90% of the time.

So far in 2018, LCV has scored 22 House votes related to the environment. Zeldin has voted against the environment 21 out of 22 times, or 95% of the time.

Since our last update on July 5, 2018, Zeldin has voted:

— to undermine fisheries management tools that are essential to prevent overfishing

— to prevent implementation of vital safeguards that protect communities from exposure to toxins in the fish they eat

— to prevent EPA from implementing its standards to reduce methane pollution in the oil and gas industry

— to prevent Congress from considering the economic costs of climate change

— to undermine the EPA’s ability to protect the 64,000 square mile Chesapeake Bay watershed

— to block federal funding for the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse under the Endangered Species Act

— to support Republican Congressman Steve Scalise’s House Resolution declaring that a carbon tax to fight climate change would harm the U.S. economy

— to prevent the EPA from using funds for an environmental justice grants program

— to deeply cut funding for the EPA and cut $65 million from the budget for the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

— to cut funding for the Department of the Interior’s Inspector General’s Office

— to open the Ironwood Forest National Monument to mining and drilling

On the “bright” side, to the extent that there is one, Zeldin in his only pro-environment vote so far this year voted against a bill that would allow LWCF funding to be redirected to park maintenance.

Details can be found here: