The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under recently confirmed Administrator Lee Zeldin is targeting a 65% reduction in agency spending, according to a White House spokesperson who clarified a remark by President Donald Trump last week after he seemed to suggest the cuts applied to staff.
“Administrator Zeldin is committed to eliminating 65% of the EPA’s wasteful spending,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement.
While the White House is now saying the the reductions will apply to spending and not staff directly, the workforce may still be at risk for cutbacks. A recent report in The Hill cited the number of permanent employees at EPA at just over 17,000.
As of now, it is unclear which spending programs or funds could be on the chopping block. According to a news brief from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), a 65% reduction in EPA spending is likely to touch the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF programs in some way, considering the two programs together represent about a third of EPA’s budget. WIFIA, as well as other water infrastructure grant programs run by EPA could be at risk, AMWA said.
Congress will have the final say in EPA spending cuts, however, as it considers agency spending for FY26. AMWA pointed out that Republicans in Congress or the White House in recent years have proposed slashing funding for EPA, but in each case, the most severe spending reductions have been avoided. The association said it will continue advocating for strong funding for EPA’s water infrastructure programs as it continues to coordinate with the Trump administration and lawmakers.
Sources: AMWA, EPA
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