WASHINGTON — Former Long Island congressman Lee Zeldin moved a step closer to confirmation as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency after a Senate committee voted Thursday to recommend that the full Senate approve his nomination.

Mr. Zeldin, a Trump loyalist, would be charged with dismantling climate rules and perhaps the agency itself. He faced questions from the Senate Thursday.

Zeldin will appear Thursday before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for his confirmation hearing to be the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Senate's environmental committee questioned former congressman on his views on climate change and fossil fuels. Zeldin has little experience heading an agency. Former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin ...

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Republican former congressman Lee Zeldin to head the country's Environmental Protection Agency. A key appointment in Trump's climate agenda-- which includes boosting fossil fuel expansion and rolling back environmental regulation-- is Lee Zeldin,

I believe that climate change is real,” Zeldin said, adding that he would work to “ensure we are protecting our environment, while also protecting our economy.”

WASHINGTON -- Former Long Island congressman Lee Zeldin denied that he will favor industry over the environment and declared he thinks climate change is real as he faced questions Thursday on his nomination to be the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is questioning the nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, in a confirmation hearing Thursday.

Donald Trump has tapped former Republican Representative Lee Zeldin to head the US's Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin, a Trump loyalist, is expected to undo dozens of environmental regulations.

Former Long Island congressman Lee Zeldin will face tough questions from Democrats about his fitness to be the EPA administrator at a Senate hearing Thursday, but he appears to be on a path to confirmation.

Senate committees on Thursday approved a handful of Trump Cabinet nominees setting them up for approval by the full chamber.

President Trump’s picks to lead the nation’s energy and environment-focused agencies all sailed through committee votes on Thursday morning. The Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources