Heated exchange erupts in Congress as EPA chief clashes with Rosa DeLauro over SC rulings

A congressional hearing turned heated as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Lee Zeldin clashed with Democrat Rosa DeLauro over legal precedent and climate policy during a debate on federal agency’s budget.

According to reports, the exchange began as DeLauro criticised the framing of President Donald Trump’s proposed 2027 budget, which includes a sharp reduction in EPA funding.

"The budget proposal reads like a climate change denier's manifesto," DeLauro said, according to Fox News.

Zeldin responded by challenging her knowledge of recent Supreme Court rulings: "You’re upset that you don’t know what Loper Bright is," he said, referencing a major 2024 case affecting regulatory powers.

As the exchange escalated, Zeldin added: "You know what the major policy doctrine is?" while DeLauro pushed back, saying: "You do not have the right to say climate change does not exist, that it's a hoax."

The discussion became increasingly confrontational, with DeLauro stating: "I don't have to listen to this BS," and Zeldin replying, "BS. You think I made up these cases?"

The hearing comes as lawmakers consider a proposal to cut the EPA’s budget by more than half, highlighting deep political divisions over climate policy and government spending.