CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin toured the Port of Corpus Christi on Wednesday, meeting with port leaders and port police.
The EPA said the visit focused on the port's role in the administration's push for American energy dominance.
Zeldin said the port's impact reaches far beyond Corpus Christi, supporting jobs and businesses nationwide.
"The type of traffic that comes through this port is what makes the American dream possible, to keep cost of living low, to be able to create jobs, to ensure that, you know, when it's cold that you're able to stay warm, when it's hot you're able to cool off, you're able to fuel your cars, you're able to power your small businesses," Zeldin said.
He said the port's exports help open markets abroad.
"There's no way to overstate how consequential the Port of Corpus Christi is for America," he said.
Zeldin, a former New York congressman, compared the port's national reach to the economic influence of New York and California, saying what happens in large economic hubs affects the rest of the country.
Zeldin toured the port with port police and praised workers there for taking their jobs seriously.
"You could tell that they love their job," he said.
He said port workers face unexpected threats daily and "always need to be on guard." He said Corpus Christi residents should take pride in that work.
Zeldin said the port's current strength signals good news beyond the region.
"The fact that this port is strong today and the prospects for the future seem to be nothing but growth and positivity, it says a lot not just for the port or for Corpus Christi," he said. "It says a lot about the future of our country."
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