Senate Democrats aim to continue a House investigation into the oil industry’s so-called supermajors and what they knew about climate change as localities across the country seek compensation for its effects.
The Democrats on what was then called the House Oversight and Reform Committee launched an investigation in 2021 examining whether the largest oil companies privately knew their products were contributing to climate change and hiding this fact from the public.
As part of the investigation, the heads of BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell Oil, as well as the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, testified before the committee, defending their business practices against Democratic criticism. However, current Oversight Chairman James R. Comer, R-Ky., dismissed the inquiry as little more than a political stunt.
