WASHINGTON >> A Trump administration plan to cut in half the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget has been the focus of contentious congressional hearings over the future of an agency that Democrats have accused of abandoning its mission to protect the environment and public health.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin appeared before a Senate committee on Wednesday, in the last of three budget hearings this week, to argue for sharply reduced funding for the agency, which already has seen its staffing reduced to its lowest level in decades under his leadership.

The former Republican congressman from New York took an aggressive approach, responding to Democrats with his own questions and at times accusing them of being unprepared or failing to care about the EPA’s track record.

Zeldin has eliminated major climate change programs, promoted deregulatory efforts he calls the biggest in American history and canceled billions of dollars in Biden-era environmental justice grants to halt what he calls “EPA’s radical diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.”

“This budget proposal captures significant efficiencies and a return focus on what Congress has directed us to do, demonstrating our commitment to a leaner, more efficient and accountable EPA focused on environmental work that directly benefits the American people,” Zeldin told senators Wednesday.

The Republican administration’s proposed $4.2 billion EPA budget would sharply reduce support for state environmental programs and state-administered loans for water projects. It also would halt what it calls “radical climate research” and cut resources for enforcement and compliance. Officials asked for more money for faster project permitting and to address drinking water disasters.