Newly appointed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin has taken decisive action against what he deems wasteful spending under the previous administration. One of his first moves was canceling a $50 million environmental justice grant awarded to the Climate Justice Alliance, an organization whose stated principles link climate justice with a "Free Palestine." Zeldin expressed his belief that American taxpayers would not support funding such an organization, a sentiment echoed by members of Congress.
Zeldin's scrutiny extends beyond this single grant. He revealed that the EPA, under the prior administration, had sent $160 million to a Canadian electric bus manufacturer as a lump sum payment. The company subsequently declared bankruptcy, failing to deliver $95 million worth of school buses to 55 designated school districts. Zeldin highlighted this as a prime example of taxpayer funds being mishandled.
Zeldin’s team has reportedly uncovered $20 billion in taxpayer funds that were allegedly wasted during the previous administration. This discovery follows a recently surfaced video of a former Biden EPA political appointee discussing the rapid disbursement of billions of dollars before the change in administration, using the analogy of "tossing gold bars off the Titanic." Zeldin interpreted this as an admission of wasteful spending. He stated that his team has located these funds, described as "parked at an outside financial institution," and plans to retrieve them.
These efforts at the EPA coincide with the work of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk. DOGE is tasked with investigating wasteful spending across government agencies. HUD Secretary Scott Turner recently announced the formation of a DOGE task force within his department, aiming to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. Turner reported initial savings of $260 million.
