EPA backtracks on Trump comment about cutting staff by 65% but says major spending cuts are coming
Earlier thread: EPA chief eyes 65% workforce reduction, Trump says
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Source: Associated Press
EPA backtracks on Trump comment about cutting staff by 65% but says major spending cuts are coming
By MATTHEW DALY
Updated 7:07 PM EST, February 27, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a comment by President Donald Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency does not plan to reduce its staff by 65%, the White House and the agency said Thursday, though major budget cuts are likely.
A White House spokeswoman said the 65% figure referred to expected spending cuts at the agency, rather than staffing levels, a comment that was amplified by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
“We don’t need to be spending all that money that went through the EPA last year,” Zeldin told Fox News on Thursday. “We don’t want it. We don’t need it. The American public needs it and we need to balance the budget.”
President Joe Biden requested about $10.9 billion for the EPA in the current budget year, an increase of 8.5% over the previous one, but Zeldin said the agency needs far less money to do its work. He also criticized EPA grants authorized under the 2022 climate law, including $20 billion for a so-called green bank to pay for climate and clean-energy programs.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/epa-budget-staffing-cuts-doge-9260514fd1be2397d39a80dc054d19df