Senate expands climate investigation to include ford motor company over alleged lobbying for trump rollbacks

A Senate committee is broadening its investigation into potential corporate influence on climate policy to include Ford Motor Company, amid allegations that the automaker may have lobbied the Trump administration to weaken environmental regulations.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, announced the expansion following claims that Ford’s CEO had requested changes to climate regulations. The investigation centers on whether Ford influenced the Trump administration’s efforts to overturn the 2009 “endangerment finding” – a critical EPA determination that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare, which serves as the legal foundation for virtually all US climate regulations.

The Ford investigation represents a significant expansion of the committee’s probe, which began in September with examinations of two dozen oil companies, think tanks, law firms, and trade associations. The committee is specifically investigating how these entities may have persuaded the White House to initiate the repeal of key climate protections.

This development highlights the complex relationship between the automotive industry and climate policy. While many automakers have publicly committed to electric vehicle transitions and emissions reductions, the investigation suggests some may have simultaneously worked behind the scenes to weaken the very regulations driving these changes. The outcome could shed light on corporate lobbying practices and their impact on America’s climate policy direction during a critical period for environmental protection.