1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: Good Friday morning. 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 2: Welcome. 3 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: It is Verdict with Center Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with 4 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,039 Speaker 1: you and we get to give you some really exciting news. 5 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: You're making history, Centator, as from what I know, you 6 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: are the first sitting member of Congress to ever have 7 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: a syndicated radio show. So everyone listening to this podcast 8 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: in a lot of markets, you're gonna be able to 9 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: hear Verdict on the radio as you're driving around town 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: on the weekend. 11 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 3: Well, that's exactly right, and it's a big damn deal, 12 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 3: the Verdict Podcast. Thanks to our incredible listeners, we have 13 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 3: about a million unique listeners that listen regularly to this show. 14 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 3: We beat CNN every single week and as of this weekend, 15 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 3: we will be on air starting in eighty four stations 16 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,959 Speaker 3: all over the country on syndicated radio, playing on Saturday 17 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 3: and Sunday. Our Friday podcast will air either Saturday or 18 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 3: Sunday on radio. That number, I hope and expect will grow. 19 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 3: But it's another chance to really communicate with people across 20 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 3: this country and to bring them behind the scenes, to 21 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 3: let them know what's going on, what's happening. And today 22 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 3: we've got a special guest on the podcast, Ben, You 23 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 3: and I are in Midland, Texas. Midland is an extraordinary town. 24 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 3: Midland is the I believe, the most entrepreneurial city on 25 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 3: the face of the planet. It is driving the shale revolution. 26 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 3: It is driving energy production in Texas and America. And 27 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 3: we're here with a special guest. We're here with the 28 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 3: Administrator of the EPA, Lee Zeldon. Now, Lee is a 29 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 3: good friend. I'm going to introduce him to you momentarily. 30 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 3: Lee is a veteran. He spent twenty two years in 31 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 3: active duty in the reserves. He was a member of 32 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 3: Congress for eight years from the great state of New York. 33 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 3: I'll tell you I actually went and campaigned with Lee 34 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 3: when he first ran. I went to Long Island and 35 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 3: campaigned alongside him. He is smart, he is principled, He 36 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 3: is a fighter. Lee was almost the governor of New York. 37 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 3: Lee should have been the governor of New York. It 38 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 3: would have been much better for the entire state of 39 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 3: New York if Lee had been the governor of New York. 40 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 3: But tragically New Yorkers decided they wanted more crime and 41 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 3: less jobs and more insanity, and so they voted to 42 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 3: re elect Democrats, and I will say the loss to 43 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 3: the great State of New York ended up being a 44 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 3: win to the United States of America because if Lee 45 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 3: were Governor of New York, he would not have been 46 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 3: able to say yes to the job he's in now, 47 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 3: which is administrator of the EPA. The EPA has a 48 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 3: massive impact on our lives, on our health and safety, 49 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,679 Speaker 3: but also on the economy. And I'll tell you what, lee' 50 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 3: selden is the very first administrator of the EPA in 51 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 3: history to come to the Permian Basin, to come to 52 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 3: the middle of Odessa. He came because I invited him 53 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 3: to come. Lee. Welcome, Welcome to Verdict Center Cruz. 54 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: It's great to be with you on the ground in Texas. 55 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: You feel the freedom here. I mean he's leaving the airport, 56 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 2: I'm thinking of all that budget surplus government being well run. 57 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 2: A whole lot of New Yorkers have come down in Texas. 58 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: They're not looking back. A whole lot of people fleeing 59 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 2: these blue states and they're heading to these freedom loving 60 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 2: states because they feel like their money is going to 61 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 2: go further, They'll feel safer, they'll live life freer. Center Cruise. 62 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: You've been at the tip of the spear here in Texas, 63 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 2: and it's been an awesome day. When I end up 64 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 2: heading back to DC, as you well know, I'm going 65 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: to be heading back with some oil stains here on 66 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 2: the boots, my own little souvenir that you provided to me, 67 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 2: and the staffers who enjoyed the trip to the rig 68 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 2: and speaking a whole bunch of great yep. 69 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: Now, what's so cool about you inviting him down here 70 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: is you guys went to an oil rig basically like 71 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: in the city. You're on it, you're seeing what's actually happening, 72 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: and it's shocking that no one in the EPA role 73 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: that you're in has ever done this before. 74 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 3: Well, it was fantastic. So we started the day. We 75 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 3: went to a rig that is drilling right now and 76 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 3: they're drilling sixty wells and it's in Midland. It's in 77 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 3: the city, it's not too far from downtown Midland and 78 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 3: they lt baffles around the rig so it doesn't make 79 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 3: much sound. It's not disturbing people. And what they're doing, 80 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 3: they're drilling down. They're going horizontal, and they're going horizontal 81 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 3: under people's homes, under people's businesses. Now, this is a 82 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 3: bonanza for the people in Midland. Why because in Texas, look, 83 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 3: you own your mineral rights. You own the rights to 84 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 3: everything from the surface all the way down to the 85 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 3: core of planet Earth. And that means literally, as they 86 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 3: drill a two and a half mile long horizontal well, 87 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 3: and they're drilling sixty of these, and if they go 88 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 3: under your home, Ben, you know what you get. You 89 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 3: get a check every month, a royalty check. They've literally 90 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 3: got ten thousand people. They might just be sitting in 91 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 3: an ordinary three bedroom home with their kids playing out back, 92 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 3: and they get every week mailbox money of money coming 93 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 3: in because a mile or two miles down this well 94 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 3: is producing oil and producing natural gas. And we saw 95 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 3: at all. It was incredible and it was a lot 96 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 3: of fun. 97 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 2: And the check ends up coming for many decades, like 98 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: forty years, and there was they said it was one 99 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 2: thousand workers involved in this project. I mean that benefits economically, 100 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 2: the work that they do to protect the environment. I 101 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 2: mean the innovation that they tap into, the way that 102 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 2: they are able to do things better for the economy 103 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: and the environment that so many other countries around the 104 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 2: rest of the world. The EPA administrator, Ben should be 105 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 2: seeing this stuff firsthand. Every administrator. If you're gonna have 106 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 2: a concern enough to regulate these types of industries, you 107 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 2: should make sure that you get your facts straight, that 108 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 2: you're talking to people on the ground, and that you're 109 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 2: applying common sense. And I think that I'm gonna be 110 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 2: able to do a better job going forward. And we've 111 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 2: we've hit the ground run and we're almost done here 112 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 2: with the first one hundred days of President Trump's administration. 113 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 2: We have a good team around us and there's a 114 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: lot to work are proud of. I feel like today's 115 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 2: visit will only make our team stronger. 116 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 3: Well, you know, one of the striking things ben as 117 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 3: Leah and I were touring the rig as he was 118 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 3: looking around and we were hearing about ten thousand Midlanders 119 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 3: who were getting checks in the mail every month. And 120 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 3: I got to say, it was interesting watching Lee's perspective 121 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 3: as someone who represented New York for eight years in 122 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 3: Congress and who ran for governor. And look, there's a 123 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 3: significant portion of New York State that has massive natural 124 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 3: gas resources. The Marcella Shale extends underneath Pennsylvania and New York. 125 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 3: And in Pennsylvania, just like here in West Texas, there 126 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 3: are people making enormous amount of moneys, ordinary families, school teachers, 127 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 3: and cops who are getting mailbox money every month because 128 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 3: of the resources being extracted from their property. And I 129 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 3: got to say, I think Lee was struck that he's 130 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 3: visited with those New Yorkers who have that natural gas 131 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 3: under their property and yet idiot politicians in New York 132 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 3: won't let them develop it. And it was striking watching 133 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 3: Lee making that option. 134 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 2: And they're desperate to tap into it. And in New 135 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 2: York they've banned the extraction of natural gas, they won't 136 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 2: improve new pipelines, they're banning gas look ups to new construction, 137 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 2: they're trying to move the state residents off of gas 138 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 2: power vehicles all together. And that list goes on. And 139 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 2: those people who have all this resource under their property, 140 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 2: and they see over the border in the Pennsylvania where 141 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 2: they are tapping into it. 142 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 3: They're striving callacts and they're. 143 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 2: Driving Cadillacs on the New York side. They're not bad 144 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 2: policy in New York, good policy in Texas. 145 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: And I want to go back to something you mentioned earlier, 146 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: and this has been a lot of the headlines that 147 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: you have been in is about you uncovering just an 148 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: incredible amount of waste within your agency, and you guys 149 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: are really going after that. Tell us a little bit more. 150 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 2: EPA's annual budget is about ten billion dollars. So far, 151 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 2: I've canceled twenty two billion dollars worth of grants. And 152 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 2: how is that possible? One might ask. Well, in twenty 153 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 2: twenty four, the amount that EPA obligated and spent was 154 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 2: over sixty billion dollars. A lot of money came through 155 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 2: the Inflation Reduction Act when Democrats were in charge of Congress, 156 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 2: and a lot of that money went through EPA. They 157 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 2: created these green slush funds and in one case, twenty 158 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 2: billion dollars which they couldn't get out on their own 159 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 2: fast enough. They ended up parking at an outside bank. 160 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 2: Towards the end of the Biden administration to give through 161 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 2: eight pass through NGOs, many of them were brand new. 162 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 2: One is that Stacy Abrams linked ngo that received two 163 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 2: billion even though they only received one hundred dollars in 164 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three, and because of self dealing. 165 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 3: Wait, hold on a second, they went from one hundred 166 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 3: dollars to two billion dollars. 167 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 2: How crazy is that? And then on page seven of 168 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 2: their grant agreement, the Biden EPA gives them ninety days 169 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 2: to complete a training called how to develop a budget. Now, 170 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 2: if you feel like this. 171 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 3: You know, with two billion dollars, you don't need much 172 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 3: of a budget. Just spend on whatever you want. 173 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,319 Speaker 2: Oh, I'll add another dynamic to it. On page one 174 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 2: of the grant agreement, they have twenty one days to 175 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 2: start spending the money. So from day zero, they have 176 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 2: twenty one days to start spending money. They had ninety 177 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 2: days to complete a training called how to develop a budget. 178 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 3: Look, this is insane, and you described what you found 179 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 3: as essentially twenty billion dollars in gold bars that were 180 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 3: being thrown off the Titanic that the Biden administration they realized, 181 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 3: Oh no, Trump is coming in, Let's just throw this 182 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 3: all out the window. I mean, is that what you found. 183 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 2: That's exactly what happened and what alerted Senate Republicans like 184 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 2: Senator Cruz. This was something that Senator Cruz and I 185 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 2: spoke about back in December when we met before my 186 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 2: confirmation hearing. There was this video that came out of 187 00:09:55,480 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 2: a Biden EPA political appointee, a Biden EPA political appointee, 188 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 2: talking about how they were tossing gold bars off the Titanic, 189 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 2: rushing and get billions of dollars out the door before inauguration. 190 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 3: This was a Biden phrase that was it was. 191 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 2: The Biden EPA political appointee. 192 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:16,719 Speaker 3: I thought that they called it that. You gotta be kidding. 193 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 2: That, yes, And they were doing it with an eye 194 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 2: towards getting themselves jobs at the recipient NGOs. So this 195 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 2: was US fulfilling a commitment to figure out we'll go 196 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 2: find the gold bars, a commitment to bring those gold 197 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,439 Speaker 2: bars back into the treasury on behalf of the American taxpayer. 198 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 3: But by the way, Lee, I will say, the the 199 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 3: last Democrat I'm aware of who was intimately involved with 200 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 3: gold bars was was your former neighboring colleague Bob Menendez, 201 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:46,440 Speaker 3: who was sticking gold bars in his pockets and down 202 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 3: his pants. And and I will say Bob is currently 203 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 3: a resident of government housing. 204 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 2: Well there are I'll talk about resident of government and 205 00:10:55,840 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 2: feeding off the taxpayer and abusing tax dollars. This whole 206 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 2: scheme is riddled with self dealing and conflicts of interest, 207 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 2: unqualified recipients, and a lack of EPA oversight. Deliberately reducing 208 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 2: EPA oversight twenty billion dollars. That's a lot of money. 209 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 2: And when that goes through those first eight passed irentities, 210 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 2: a lot of that money goes through more passed through entities. 211 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 2: And we found with one program that there was money 212 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 2: that by the time it was getting to the ultimate recipient, 213 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 2: it was going through four middlemen. And each of these 214 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 2: middlemen are getting their own fee for being middlemen. And 215 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 2: now when I had one other thing, we've heard so 216 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 2: much about that. We've heard the term climate change, we've 217 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 2: heard the term environmental justice. And you could build support 218 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: for your term by the way that you define it, 219 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 2: the way you argue and advocate for it. For example, 220 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 2: one might say, so if. 221 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 3: You call it gold bars off the Titanic, that's not 222 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 3: the best messaging. 223 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. 224 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 2: Amen. If you say that that we need to combat 225 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 2: environmental justice because there's a c community, there are communities 226 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 2: that are left behind and they need help, a lot 227 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 2: of Americans be like, Okay, they're communities that are left behind, 228 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 2: they need help. What do we need to do? But 229 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 2: here's the problem. In the name of environmental justice, they 230 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 2: will give money to their left wing activist friends instead 231 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 2: of actually remediating environmental issues. So one of the grants 232 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 2: I canceled was a fifty million dollar grant to a 233 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 2: group called Climate Justice Alliance. They say that climate justice 234 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 2: runs through a free Palestine. I say, God bless that 235 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 2: if you are gonna give, if you're gonna spend fifty 236 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 2: million dollars in the name of environmental justice, that money 237 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 2: should go towards actually remediating an environmental issue in the 238 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 2: name of climate change. They're willing to spend trillions of 239 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:50,199 Speaker 2: dollars bankrupting this country, and we as Americans need to 240 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 2: get smartest to what the left has been up. 241 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 3: Let me say something on this, which is you're really 242 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 3: underscoring a very important point that when core up Democrats 243 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 3: waste billions of dollars, they're doing multiple things. One, they're 244 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 3: paying off their buddies and engaging in political corruptions. So 245 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 3: the two billion dollars that was given to Stacy Abrams 246 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 3: and her group was to buy new appliances for Georgians. Now, 247 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 3: mind you, Stacy Abrams ran for governor of Georgia. She 248 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 3: claimed she was the original election denier. She claims she won, 249 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 3: never mind the fact that she didn't. But the Democrats 250 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 3: are giving her two billion dollars because it turns out 251 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 3: if you give someone a brand new dishwasher, maybe maybe 252 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 3: they'll vote for you next time. It's just buying votes. 253 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 3: That's one consequence of it. But another consequence of it 254 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 3: is that's two billion dollars that's not being spent to 255 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 3: clean up a super fun site. That's two billion dollars 256 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 3: that's not being spent if you have a toxic waste dump. Look, 257 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 3: the EPA has really important missions. Every one of us 258 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 3: wants clean air and clean water because we all breathe 259 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 3: and we all drink water. And if you're wasting twenty 260 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 3: two billion dollars in cronium and corruption, that's to twenty 261 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 3: two billion dollars that are not going to clean up 262 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,079 Speaker 3: the environment and make our kids safer. Is that right? 263 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 2: One hundred percent right? And we're not here saying we 264 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 2: want to take money from a left wing activist organization 265 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 2: and give it to a right wing activist organization. We're 266 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 2: talking about the money belongs to the taxpayers, and if 267 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 2: you're going to spend the money on protecting the environment, 268 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 2: it needs to go directly towards remediating in environmental issue 269 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 2: period I don't want to spend a dollar more than 270 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 2: what we need. And by the way, when some people call, 271 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 2: someone comes to me and they say I have an 272 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 2: idea on how to save five thousand dollars, that's a 273 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 2: lot of money to me. Let's save five thousand dollars. 274 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: Let's save five million dollars. We save five billion dollars. 275 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 2: And what's so frustrating is that there are people when 276 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 2: you say I have an idea to save a billion dollars, 277 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 2: the responses, well, that's only point zero zero three percent 278 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 2: of some larger pot of money. So you know who gives, well, 279 00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 2: I give, and whether it's a B and M, we're 280 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 2: talking about one thousand dollars, whatever it is. When you're 281 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 2: steward of tax dollars, you need to treat it as 282 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 2: if it's your own money. You need to treat it 283 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 2: with even more care and concern. And unfortunately, there are 284 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 2: too many people in government who love wasting money and 285 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 2: they're paying it off to the friends. In this case, 286 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 2: we're talking about former Biden and Obama appointed administration officials, 287 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 2: former Democratic donors. These are people who they are close 288 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 2: with because of that alliance, not because of the qualifications 289 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 2: Stacy Abrams, and that NGO doesn't get the money because 290 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 2: Stacy Abrams is so experienced in handling billions of dollars. 291 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: You were talking about how it's pretty clear that the 292 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: Democratic Party decided they were going to take the APA, 293 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: radicalize it, use it for their own personal gain and 294 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: their friends and their climate religion and the Great New Deal. 295 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 1: The list goes on and on. Can we take a 296 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: step back and explain to everyone listening around the country, 297 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 1: what is the original goal of the EPA, why was 298 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: it created? What is your goal? So they understand just 299 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: how far off the beaten path we've gotten. 300 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 2: The core mission of EPA is protecting human health in 301 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 2: the environment, and what conservatives, moderates, liberals, Republicans, Democrats, independents, 302 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 2: what Americans, almost all universally, should be agreeing on, is 303 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 2: that we should ensure clean air, land, and water for 304 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 2: all Americans. That's a goal that we often talk about. 305 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 2: And protecting the environment is something that conservatives care deeply about. 306 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 2: We believe that we can both protect the environment and 307 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 2: grow the economy. This isn't a binary choice. But what 308 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,280 Speaker 2: was happening under the Biden EPA was that they were 309 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 2: strangulating the economy, and they were passing these regulations that 310 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 2: were costing trillions of dollars and they were designed to 311 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 2: put entire industries out of business. And Americans spoke up 312 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 2: last November. They say that they want a stronger economy, 313 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 2: they want more energy, they want more jobs. And President 314 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 2: Trump heard that loud and clear. The campaigned on a 315 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 2: lot of this, and that's why there's a National Energy 316 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,880 Speaker 2: Dominance Council, there's a national energy emergency, and that's why 317 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 2: EPA is doing its part. We announced on March twelfth, 318 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 2: the largest deregulatory action in the history of the country. 319 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 2: We want to fix this instantly. We're not looking to 320 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 2: pace ourselves. I'm not saying, hey, stay tuned in twenty 321 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,160 Speaker 2: twenty eight. The solution is going to finally be here. 322 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 2: Take my word for it. I'm saying right now, we 323 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 2: are actively walking into you and com at the same 324 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 2: time on all fronts. We're firing on all cylinders. We 325 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 2: will fix everything. That's our commitment. 326 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 3: You know. Historically, the EPA, I think, has been the 327 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:38,199 Speaker 3: most dangerous and destructive regulator in the entire country, and 328 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:44,159 Speaker 3: it is under radical Democrats, promulgated rules designed to destroy jobs, 329 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 3: to destroy entire industries. And it reminds me of a 330 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 3: joke that I have to bet I've told on the 331 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 3: campaign trail many times, which is what's the difference between 332 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:58,160 Speaker 3: regulators and locusts. And the answer is, you can't use 333 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 3: pesticide on the regulators. And one time, actually out here 334 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 3: in West Texas, an old farmer leaned forward and said, 335 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 3: want to bet. So I'll just tell you when you 336 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 3: come in and say I'm the regulator. West Texas is 337 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 3: a different place. But I'll tell you why. I'm so 338 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 3: thrilled that Lee is doing this because he brings intelligence 339 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 3: and common sense and an understanding that we can't protect 340 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 3: the environment, keep our air and water clean. But that 341 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 3: doesn't mean being a crazy zealot trying to shut down 342 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 3: every job you can in America. And that's what under 343 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 3: Obama and Biden that they did. And so I want 344 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:45,159 Speaker 3: to ask and look, and there's a consistent theme across 345 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 3: President Trump's cabinet of a bringing back, a resurgence of 346 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 3: common sense, bringing back a dedication to jobs, bringing back 347 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 3: a dedication to blue collar workers. So I want to ask. 348 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 3: One of the things we do on Verdict, we try 349 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 3: to bring people behind the scenes. And and so you're 350 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 3: a member of President Trump's cabinet, let me just ask you, 351 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 3: what's it like to be in Donald Trump's cabinet? Like, 352 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 3: bring our listeners in what does it? What does it mean? 353 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 3: Tell tell us about the first cabinet meeting you go to. 354 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 3: What's it like? 355 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,120 Speaker 2: Now? I always thought that there was pretty much two 356 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 2: choices for a cabinet. That a president can have a 357 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 2: cabinet where everyone gets along and maybe they're all yes men. 358 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 2: They don't have the relationship with the president where they 359 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 2: can push back. It's just everyone just tells the president 360 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 2: what they want to hear. And then option two is 361 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 2: this team of rivals approach, where maybe people don't get 362 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 2: along with each other, there's some conflict, and from that 363 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 2: conflict and debate, maybe you end up with a with 364 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 2: a better cabinet, a member you know from the Abe 365 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 2: Lincoln Team of Rivals, A great book worth reading if 366 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 2: anyone out there hasn't read it yet, President Trump has 367 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:52,679 Speaker 2: tried something different. I really think this this is the 368 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 2: model of how to do it. He has a cabinet 369 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 2: where everyone gets along with each other, there's great chemistry, 370 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,360 Speaker 2: and we all have the relationship with President Trump where 371 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 2: we could tell him where we disagree on any topic. 372 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 2: We all have that relationship with him where we are 373 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 2: able to share our candid thoughts, our candidate recommendations. And 374 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 2: I think this cabinet stronger for it. I think that 375 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,959 Speaker 2: the President and this administration his country is stronger for it. 376 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 2: Inside those cabinet meetings like we just had one last week. 377 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,479 Speaker 2: It was a low over three hours long. It was 378 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 2: so positive and it was so substantive, and we're all 379 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,640 Speaker 2: talking about what we are working on in our own agency. 380 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 2: In many cases, it's working with other agencies and the partnerships. 381 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:38,920 Speaker 2: I'm a member of the National Energy Dominance Council, I'm 382 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 2: a member of the Make America Healthy Again Commission with 383 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 2: Secretary Kennedy, and cooperation between agencies ends up allowing us 384 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 2: to accomplish so many other goals. Like Senator Cruz has 385 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 2: been fighting for permitting reform, well, one of the best 386 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,399 Speaker 2: ways to achieve permitting reform is to have agencies working 387 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 2: on this stuff at the same time, rather than having 388 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 2: to go through twelve months in one agency and then 389 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 2: you go to some other agency and they're guming up 390 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 2: the works and the person who's applying for the purpose, like, hey, 391 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 2: why don't you just tell us that year ago, Well, 392 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 2: we want to make sure that we are doing things 393 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 2: efficiently in a way that we were all making the 394 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 2: American public proud. It's a new way to be a 395 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 2: cabin to have a cabinet. I think this is the 396 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 2: way presidents should do it going forward. 397 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 3: You know, I read something last week that was amazing, 398 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:27,439 Speaker 3: which is Donald Trump, in three months of his second term, 399 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 3: has already answered more press questions at cabinet meetings than 400 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 3: Joe Biden did in four years as president. Although it 401 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 3: be fair Biden may have been answering questions of voices 402 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 3: he was hearing in his head. So I don't know 403 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 3: about that. All right, let me ask another question, which 404 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 3: is how did you find out you were gonna be 405 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 3: epa administrator? Tell us what it's like. So you're sitting 406 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 3: there minding your own business, like, how did this appointment 407 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 3: come about? 408 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 2: So it was a call on a Sunday morning right 409 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,639 Speaker 2: after the election. I spoke to the President a few 410 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 2: times during that week after the election, and the Resident 411 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 2: was thinking through some different options. I didn't know what 412 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 2: he was going to ask me to do. Was clear 413 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:10,879 Speaker 2: that he wanted me to come join the team. Sunday morning. 414 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: Though. 415 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 2: He calls me up and he is locked in. He 416 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 2: is decisive, he is motivated. He had this vision of 417 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,479 Speaker 2: exactly what we can be accomplishing at EPA, and his 418 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 2: motivation motivated me. I said, if you love this idea, 419 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 2: and I mean, I am all in. I was like, actually, 420 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 2: what I said was if you like it, I love it, 421 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 2: and then the rest is history. And one of the 422 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 2: cool things about contacting me on November eleventh, when you 423 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 2: still have two and a half months before a confirmation, 424 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,400 Speaker 2: is that is a runway to get fully staffed up, 425 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,119 Speaker 2: to fully prepare for how to hit the ground running 426 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 2: once we got there. So the President when he called 427 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,679 Speaker 2: me up, he had like fifteen specific ideas he wanted 428 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 2: us to We're just talking about permitting reform. He's talking 429 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 2: about making America the AI capital the world. He wants 430 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 2: to bring back American auto jobs. He wants to unleash dominance, 431 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 2: and he had a lot of specific ideas on how 432 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,439 Speaker 2: to do it. Now, I don't know what that conversation 433 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,160 Speaker 2: was like eight years earlier when he was calling his 434 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 2: then nominee to be EPA administrator, But I will tell 435 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 2: you when he called me up, he was deeply knowledgeable 436 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 2: on everything that we needed to do to do a 437 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 2: great job. 438 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: Let me ask you another question. For some of you 439 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 1: who are listening, they hear the EPA, one of the 440 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: things that you're trying to do is deregulate and allow 441 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 1: for things to flourish that can have a huge impact 442 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 1: on every American's life. That can be at the gas pump, 443 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: that can be with natural gas, their house, that can 444 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 1: be with countless other things. Give a list of just 445 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 1: how important the EPA is and how much it touches 446 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:42,639 Speaker 1: in average Americans life. They may not even realize. 447 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 2: One is the EPA has tremendous power to gum up 448 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 2: the works on a lot. I mean, if you want 449 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 2: permitting reform before you even have to go through a 450 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,879 Speaker 2: legislative process, EPA could speed up a whole lot of 451 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 2: permitting timelines by just getting out of the way. There 452 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 2: is incredible. Now, there's a whole bunch of landmark historic 453 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 2: laws that are on the books. Clean Air Act, Clean 454 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 2: Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, CIRCLA for super Funds, 455 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 2: Toxic Substances, Chemicals Act, Their Control Act. There's a lot 456 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 2: of laws around the books that have EPA doing different work. 457 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 2: It is important for us to ensure that we are 458 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 2: not overstepping these powers. And what we can do through 459 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:31,120 Speaker 2: our deregulatory action amounts to what is the largest deregulatory 460 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 2: environment in the history of the country. There's never been 461 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:38,399 Speaker 2: a year, there's never been a presidential administration or a 462 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 2: year in the past where the entire federal government did 463 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 2: more deregulation than the EPA will do in twenty twenty five. 464 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 2: That's how much we could accomplish in such a short time. 465 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 3: That's incredible. You told a story earlier today about the 466 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 3: EPA's involvement in cleaning up the California wildfires, and it's 467 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 3: a good example of how it impacts people's lives. Like 468 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,399 Speaker 3: you wouldn't necessarily think the EPA is involved in dealing 469 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 3: with wildfires, but you guys are deeply involved. 470 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 2: As soon as though the wildfires hit Los Angeles, over 471 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 2: thirteen thousand properties destroyed, President Trump comes into office. He 472 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 2: inherits it happened a few days before he got there. 473 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 2: He signs an executive order. He says, EPA, you have 474 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 2: thirty days to do your entire Phase one hazardous material 475 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,400 Speaker 2: removal before Phase two starts, which is the Army Corps 476 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 2: of Engineers doing their debris removal. 477 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 3: And like with the wildfires, you have people's homes that 478 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 3: burn to the ground. There's a lot of toxic sludge. 479 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 3: I mean, it's a mess. It's dangerous. Like fires produce 480 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 3: bad stuff, and you guys had to figure out how 481 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 3: to clean it up. But do it in thirty days. 482 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, First the response was that's impossible. This is going 483 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 2: to take you until the summer at best. It's going 484 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 2: to take a few months for sure. The lithium ion 485 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 2: batteries were all over this particular area. We got it 486 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,199 Speaker 2: done in less than thirty days after ramping up to 487 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 2: fifteen hundred workers. Proud of the effort from EPA. We 488 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 2: do a lot like this that the our public might 489 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 2: not know about. And that's why in just a couple 490 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 2: of days we're heading to the Tijuana area in southern California, 491 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:09,120 Speaker 2: where a lot of Mexican ros sewage is entering for decades. 492 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 2: We need to end it. 493 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 1: Number one about you guys dealing with water issues and Tijuana. 494 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:16,959 Speaker 1: And I also and there's another one that a lot 495 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,679 Speaker 1: of Americans will remember and that was the trained derailment, 496 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 1: and it seemed like the government was picking winners and 497 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,160 Speaker 1: losers with that clean up or lack thereof. You guys 498 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 1: have also gotten involved with that because what you did 499 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:32,680 Speaker 1: in the wildfires in California is incredible. That's what every 500 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: Americans should get, no matter where they live, and politics 501 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 1: shouldn't come into it. 502 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 2: This is something that really showed then, Junior Senator JD 503 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 2: Vance as someone who understands leadership in a time of crisis, 504 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 2: when disaster strikes, your instinct as a leader should be 505 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 2: to show up at that site and to be the 506 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 2: voice of the people. And what was wild was JD 507 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 2: was like the only one there. I think that might 508 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 2: be cong from Bill Johnson's district. 509 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:01,639 Speaker 3: Well, to be fair, Donald Trump came to. 510 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, well and it was JA and JD, not. 511 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 3: Joe Biden, not Pete boudhage Edge, but Donald Trump came 512 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 3: That's right. 513 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 2: And I remember the conversations where JD was engaging with 514 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 2: President Trump to make sure that President Trump was there. 515 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,640 Speaker 2: And this was all in the initial days and weeks 516 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 2: after disaster struck. Yes, and a lot of people were wondering, well, 517 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 2: where is this person, where is that person, Where is 518 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 2: this agency? Where's that agency it should be? This is 519 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,480 Speaker 2: the ultimate gut check and an instinct check of it. 520 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,120 Speaker 3: Was amazing because Biden, the Democrats, they really liked Palestinians. 521 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 3: You would think they would have gone, oh my. 522 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 2: Gosh, you know all right. 523 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 3: For the record, Lezelden is officially speechless. He doesn't know 524 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 3: what to do with that smart ass comment. 525 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 2: I'll tell you it was a It was such a 526 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:57,400 Speaker 2: missed opportunity to lead and that EPA. Over the course 527 00:27:57,440 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 2: of time, they ended up being two hundred and twenty third. 528 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 2: We saw two hundred and twenty thousand tons of contaminated 529 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 2: soil removed, We saw tens of millions of gallons of 530 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:12,160 Speaker 2: water removed. They ended up becoming a massive EPA effort 531 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 2: that actually is still ongoing and in a way for 532 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 2: the environmental and human impacts. There's going to be testing 533 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 2: going on for a long time to come. And I 534 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 2: would encourage anyone who's out there listening, who is in 535 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 2: that community, in the in the area that maybe you 536 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 2: used to go to East Palestine, but now you take 537 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,199 Speaker 2: a detour, you go somewhere else. We all need to 538 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,640 Speaker 2: do our part to help bring East Palestine, Ohio back 539 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 2: and very important to the Vice President. But unfortunately, too 540 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 2: many of these cases have shown that lack of leadership. 541 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 3: Well, and tell us what you're doing in Tijuana, because 542 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 3: it's an amazing here. 543 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 2: You have an issue where for decades Mexican row sew 544 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 2: which has been coming across the border. It's been poured 545 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 2: into the Tijuanna River. It ends up contaminating water and air. 546 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 2: We have Navy seals getting sick. They have to do 547 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 2: training somewhere else. So we have decided enough is enough. 548 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 2: We're going to Tijuana in the coming days. I can't 549 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:07,800 Speaker 2: wait to get there. We're gonna be on the US 550 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 2: side of that border. We have a whole plan of action. 551 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 3: I'm just just warning you when you're in the cabinet, 552 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 3: what happens in Tijuana does not stay in Tijuana. 553 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, sir, great advice. And especially if you drink 554 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 2: the water, you'll be bringing that back to you, back 555 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 2: with you to d C. So listen, it's something that 556 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 2: we're gonna step up on and tackle and we're proud 557 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 2: of it. E p A wants to assist. And these 558 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 2: are Americans that we see over there California, do they 559 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 2: vote red or blue. All your listeners know the answer 560 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 2: to that one doesn't matter. 561 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 3: But look, you're you're you're cleaning that crap up. Literally, 562 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 3: I mean that that is valuable. That's what we want 563 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 3: the e p A to be doing. That's important. Let 564 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 3: me let me ask you so. So you and I 565 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 3: are in Midland, Texas. We spent the day. We started 566 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 3: by going to to a rig that was drilling an 567 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 3: oil well. We then had a roundtable and actually when 568 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 3: you were being confirmed and you came by my office, 569 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 3: you and I have been good friends for over a decade, 570 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 3: but when you were being confirmed, I said, I want 571 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 3: to ask you to commit to come the Midland Texas 572 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 3: and sit down with oil and gas leaders, with entrepreneurs, 573 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 3: with people that are producing energy and hear from them. 574 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 3: And it's amazing. You're the first EPA administrator in history 575 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 3: to come to the middle of Odessa, which is astonishing. 576 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 3: It's like saying an ag secretary had never been to Iowa. 577 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 3: It's like saying a secretary of State had never been 578 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 3: to the United Kingdom or never been to Israel. Like 579 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 3: your job, every EPA administrator should be in the Permian 580 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 3: base and given the importance of it and the involvement 581 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,600 Speaker 3: of the EPA. So, so, tell us about you met 582 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 3: with wildcatters and business leaders, a lot of people that 583 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 3: are good friends of mine. Give us your impression of 584 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 3: the folks you met and and what you learned on 585 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 3: this trip. Was it valuable salt of the earth? 586 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 2: Job creators? You could just imagine how much sweat equity 587 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:09,000 Speaker 2: was around that table of people who have poured their lives, 588 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 2: their heart, blood tears, creating jobs, providing energy to Texans 589 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 2: and beyond. And these people need us to be thanking them, 590 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 2: to be to be praising them for their good work, 591 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 2: to be supporting them as opposed to using our power 592 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 2: to try to make it more difficult for them. We 593 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 2: shouldn't be trying. 594 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 3: To so by them. By the way, these guys are 595 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 3: all close friends and buddies of mine. I have had 596 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 3: great joy in recent weeks and months asking them how 597 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 3: much they're like Billy Bob Thornton. Have they ever been 598 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 3: tied up and had a mask over their head? Have 599 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 3: they been covered in gasoline by cartels? Our host Bill Holmes, 600 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 3: great great great friend, land man, very successful business man. 601 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 3: I asked him so so, By the way, if you 602 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 3: haven't watched Landman, you should. It's the best show on television. 603 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 3: I did play for President Trump in the Oval Office 604 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 3: last week. The segment from land Man where Billy Bob 605 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 3: Thornton talks to the left wing environmental lawyer about windmills. 606 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 3: It's the best three minutes on television of our lifetime. 607 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 3: And I will say, at least the Landman I know 608 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 3: in Midland tell me that that they murder fewer people 609 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 3: than they do in the show. It's still a great show. 610 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 2: And for Billy Bob, if you're out there listening, that 611 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,480 Speaker 2: was some That was a free sponsorship from Senator Ted Cruz. 612 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 2: So you're you're lucky that you have that fan playing 613 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 2: it for President Trump in the Oval bringing a great 614 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 2: a great show to the people. And listen, we need 615 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 2: to get smart with energy policy. There are people promoting 616 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 2: win as an intermittent sources if that's a substitute for 617 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 2: baseload power. For all of you out there listening, let's 618 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 2: let's get smart, educate, advocate the people who are around 619 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 2: all of the good policy. 620 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: It's a really fun show today. I hope you guys 621 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 1: enjoyed it. Don't forget this is exactly why We do 622 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: the show three days a week. Hit that subscribe auto 623 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,440 Speaker 1: download button. You don't want to ever miss an interview 624 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:01,960 Speaker 1: that we do, just like this one, and make sure 625 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 1: you share this podcast wherever you are. We would greatly 626 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 1: appreciate that on social media. So if you're on X, 627 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: if you're on Instagram, wherever you are, share this podcast 628 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 1: and the Senat and I will see you back here 629 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 1: for the weekend review on Saturday morning.