{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-after-meeting-with-lee-zeldin-im-excited-to-have-a-change-of-leadership-at-the-epa/", "Ricketts\u00a0After Meeting with Lee Zeldin: \u201cI\u2019m Excited to Have A Change of Leadership at the EPA\u201d", "2024-12-04", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Pete Ricketts", "R000618", "www.ricketts.senate.gov", "ricketts", "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list&pagenum=", "scraper", "December 4, 2024\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, reacted to his meeting with former Congressman Lee Zeldin, President-Elect Trump\u2019s nominee for Administrator of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Ricketts was encouraged by Zeldin\u2019s plans to roll back the burdensome regulations of the Biden-Harris administration, provide transparency and certainty, and respect Nebraska priorities. Ricketts made the comments while on a conference call with Nebraska media.\n\n\u201cThe Biden-Harris EPA\u2019s delusional and expensive regulations caused prices to rise for families and businesses,\u201d Ricketts said. \u201cThey wasted millions of taxpayer dollars with grants to far-left, partisan organizations. They issued mandates that limited choice and hindered American innovation. They stonewalled Senators and kept important information from the American people. That\u2019s just wrong.\u201d\n\n\u201cToday, I met with former Congressman Lee Zeldin, President-Elect Trump\u2019s nominee to lead the EPA,\u201dRicketts continued. \u201cWe discussed several issues critical to Nebraska and our country. I\u2019m excited to have a change of leadership at the Environmental Protection Agency. Lee and I discussed the need for an EPA that provides relief, not regulation.\u201d\n\n\u201cFormer Congressman Lee Zeldin has a strong record of public service,\u201d Ricketts closed. \u201cI\u2019m hopeful he will lead the EPA in a way that respects Nebraska\u2019s priorities. I look forward to working with him to advance these policies that will benefit Nebraska and all Americans.\u201d\n\nTRANSCRIPT:\n\nSenator Ricketts: \u201cThe Biden-Harris EPA\u2019s delusional and expensive regulations caused prices to rise for families and businesses.\n\n\u201cThey wasted millions of taxpayer dollars with grants to far-left, partisan organizations.\n\n\u201cThey issued mandates that limited choice and hindered American innovation.\n\n\u201cThey stonewalled Senators and kept important information from the American people.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s just wrong.\n\n\u201cToday, I met with former Congressman Lee Zeldin, President-Elect Trump\u2019s nominee to lead the EPA.\n\n\u201cWe discussed several issues critical to Nebraska and our country.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m excited to have a change of leadership at the Environmental Protection Agency.\n\n\u201cLee and I discussed the need for an EPA that provides relief, not regulation.\n\n\u201cThe EPA\u2019s role is to protect our environment without placing unnecessary roadblocks in the way of hardworking Americans.\n\n\u201cI know Lee Zeldin understands how the EPA\u2019s overreach has hurt farmers and businesses.\n\n\u201cI was encouraged to hear his plans for rolling back these burdensome regulations and supporting innovation and economic growth.\n\n\u201cAnother issue we discussed was the need for an EPA that unleashes American energy, instead of attacking it.\n\n\u201cWe need to end regulations like the Clean Power Plan that undermine our energy security and economic growth.\n\n\u201cWe need to streamline permitting processes to save consumers money, support American workers, and boost our economy.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m confident that Lee Zeldin will be a good partner in this effort.\n\n\u201cWe also discussed the need for an EPA that respects proven solutions like Nebraska biofuels.\n\n\u201cBiofuels like ethanol save consumers money at the pump, help clean up our environment, and support our farmers and ranchers.\n\n\u201cI emphasized the importance of strengthening the Renewable Fuel Standard.\n\n\u201cI encouraged him to ensure that Renewable Volume Obligations are set at levels that reflect the full capacity and potential of the renewable fuels industry.\n\n\u201cThis is critical for our nation\u2019s energy security.\n\n\u201cFormer Congressman Lee Zeldin has a strong record of public service.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m hopeful he will lead the EPA in a way that respects Nebraska\u2019s priorities.\n\n\u201cI look forward to working with him to advance these policies that will benefit Nebraska and all Americans.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-after-meeting-with-lee-zeldin-im-excited-to-have-a-change-of-leadership-at-the-epa/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9795031510293484, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}