North Carolina’s Michael Regan has won strong approval to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Biden-Harris Administration. The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Regan by a lopsided 66-34 bipartisan margin last week. He earned the votes of 16 Republicans, including North Carolina’s Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. 

Throughout the confirmation process, Regan successfully demonstrated the low-key, listening approach which won him praise from both sides of the highly polarized political aisle in North Carolina state government as Gov. Roy Cooper’s Secretary of Environmental Quality. His skills and character won support in the Senate as well.

“We’re excited to watch him do for the EPA what he did for North Carolina: put people and policy over politics, and work with scientists, stakeholders, lawmakers of both parties, and above all, the most impacted communities, to protect all Americans from polluters and climate change,” Dan Crawford, our director of governmental relations.

“With his strong leadership and collaborative approach, Michael Regan is just the Administrator we need to ensure that the EPA is wildly successful in protecting our health and environment,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “We appreciate Regan’s commitment to advancing climate and environmental policies based on science and centered around justice and equity.”

The next day, Regan showed up for work at EPA headquarters for the first time and was greeted by the Climate Action Campaign’s welcome message projected on the frost of the building. In video remarks to CAC, Regan said, “Science is back! Transparency is back! We’re focusing on climate change. We’re gonna focus on equity and inclusion.”