More than two-thirds of Democrats signed onto a letter Wednesday accusing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin of "actively hamstringing America's homegrown clean energy industry" under new policies implemented by the Trump administration, reports the Hill.
"While countries around the world are clamoring for cleaner, cheaper, and more innovative technologies, you are actively hamstringing America's homegrown clean energy industry, which has already injected $422 billion and 400,000 jobs into our economy in just the past two and a half years," the bicameral group of legislators wrote.
"This is anything but unleashing American energy. At the same time, instead of lowering costs for American families, your actions will result in the opposite. Americans' medical expenses will increase because your Polluters First agenda will allow particulate matter and other hazardous air pollution to go unchecked," they added.
Zeldin in March announced nearly three dozen deregulation moves that he said would spur the U.S. economy by rolling back rules that have unfairly burdened industry. Many of the moves would affect landmark regulations aimed at protecting clean air and water.
The lawmakers said Zeldin's actions would "needlessly increase American families' exposure to the pollution that can make them sick and stick them with the bill for their care."