Sens. Chuck Schumer and Sheldon Whitehouse released a report saying oil and gas companies were rewarded with tax breaks, subsidies and environmental-rule rollbacks after Donald Trump asked energy companies for $1 billion in 2024 campaign donations.
The report was based on 19 investigations of EPA regulatory rollbacks, 13 investigations involving nine other agencies, and 13 probes into what the senators called 88 polluters. It said the hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign spending it tracked after Trump’s request resulted in hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks and revenues, while policies pushed consumers toward more fossil fuels.
The EPA this month announced rules to repeal Biden-era limits on carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants and prevent future climate-focused regulations for them. The EPA said the move would save the industry $370 million in compliance costs; the Biden administration said its rule would have delivered $370 billion in benefits, including lower medical bills for health problems caused by smog and other emissions. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
