Lisa Friedman

Environmentalists said a ritual at the office of Lee Zeldin, the agency head, highlighted a disconnect between religious principles and looser health and climate protections.

Dozens of programs, many linked to climate change and diversity, have been designated for elimination by DOGE, according to people with knowledge of the plan.

Some said they worried that California’s planned ban on gas-powered vehicles would raise the price of cars. Another cited “intense and misleading lobbying” by the oil industry.

Lawmakers voted to stop the state from requiring that an increasing share of new trucks sold there have zero emissions.