President-elect Donald Trump is poised to implement changes to the administrative state’s operations, raising questions about the future of the Environmental Protection Agency.  

In Trump’s first term, the EPA experienced a significant staff reduction due to an extensive hiring freeze and many employees leaving the agency, including nearly 1,200 scientists and policy experts. President Joe Biden made efforts to rebuild the agency through significant climate legislation and, as of last year, hired almost 2,000 employees. Still, the incoming Trump administration could reverse those restoring efforts.