đź•’ Last updated on September 17, 2025
A powerful Senate committee has opened an inquiry into suspected lobbying by major corporations to roll back one of the most important climate rules in the United States.
Senate panel launches inquiry into fossil fuel influence
The rule, known as the “endangerment finding,” was first issued in 2009. It gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which are linked to global warming and harmful to human health.
This finding has been the legal backbone for nearly all federal climate regulations. But earlier this year, the current administration announced plans to undo it. That move immediately sparked concern among environmental advocates and lawmakers who say the decision was driven by fossil fuel interests rather than science.
Now, the Senate environment and public works committee has sent letters to more than two dozen companies, trade associations, law firms, and thinktanks. The committee wants them to hand over internal communications and documents connected to the effort to overturn the finding. These letters were addressed to some of the world’s largest oil and gas corporations, coal producers, and even auto manufacturers whose business relies on fossil fuels.
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The committee’s ranking member said it is “irresponsible and legally questionable” to remove the finding simply to benefit polluting industries. The letters highlight concerns that oil giants, coal producers, and their allies may have worked behind closed doors to draft, promote, and lobby for the rollback.
Fossil fuel companies have long opposed the endangerment finding. It effectively recognizes that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are dangerous pollutants. That recognition threatens their core business model because it gives the EPA power to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act.
The letters cover a timeline starting from the day the current president was re-elected in November until July, when the EPA formally announced its plan to rescind the finding. The committee wants to see every relevant communication, including private emails, reports, and other records.
Among the recipients were global oil giants, coal companies, and two auto manufacturers. The letters were also sent to powerful trade associations, major law firms representing energy clients, and several right-wing thinktanks. These thinktanks have frequently attacked environmental regulations and praised the government’s proposal to erase the finding.
While the committee lacks subpoena power because the Senate is currently controlled by the majority party, lawmakers still expect the corporations and groups to cooperate. The effort signals that industries connected to fossil fuels are now under scrutiny for their role in shaping policies that could weaken environmental protections.
Rising conflict over climate rollback
This investigation comes at a time when the administration has already moved to scrap dozens of climate rules since returning to the White House. Many of the administration’s top officials are former lobbyists or lawyers for oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, fueling accusations that polluters now hold powerful sway over government decisions.
Environmental groups argue that the push to undo the endangerment finding is part of a larger effort to help fossil fuel companies survive by weakening rules that limit pollution. Two non-profit organizations have even filed lawsuits, claiming that the government secretly convened climate change skeptics to justify its move.
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The committee’s action sends a clear message that lawmakers are watching. They believe the repeal effort may have been driven not by public interest but by behind-the-scenes influence from polluting industries. By demanding disclosure, the committee hopes to shine light on how much power fossil fuel companies and their allies had in shaping the controversial decision.
For communities, the stakes are high. Without the endangerment finding, the EPA would lose its strongest legal foundation to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. That could undermine efforts to limit climate change impacts such as extreme weather, rising seas, and threats to public health.
The investigation reflects growing tension between lawmakers, regulators, and powerful industries over the country’s environmental future. The committee’s request for documents may reveal just how deeply corporate influence runs in the push to overturn one of America’s most important climate protections.