"Everything is on the table when it comes to [Rex Tillerson] testifying under oath," a Senate Democratic aide told POLITICO | Getty Dems vow to turn Tillerson hearing into Exxon referendum

Democrats and their progressive allies see a tiny upside to the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of State.

They’d finally get their chance to grill the oil executive under oath.


Liberal hopes of forcing Tillerson to testify before Congress were dashed Nov. 8 when Republicans maintained control of the Senate and easily held onto the House. But they're already eyeing Tillerson's potential confirmation hearing as an opportunity to quiz him on whether the oil giant suppressed decades-old internal research about the threat of climate change, as the company's critics have charged.

Democrats might not have the clout to kill his nomination, but they could use the hearing to spotlight the Trump administration’s denial of climate change — and ambush Tillerson on questions that he and Exxon have managed to avoid until now.

"Everything is on the table when it comes to [Tillerson] testifying under oath," a Senate Democratic aide told POLITICO, adding that he'd "absolutely get those questions. The fact that they’re not cognizant of that being an issue ... shows a kind of tone deafness to what they’re facing here.”

Exxon, one of the biggest companies in the world, is facing a barrage of criticism from progressives related to a series of investigative reports that allege the company has known for decades that fossil fuels exacerbate climate change. Two state attorneys general — New York's Eric Schneiderman and Massachusetts' Maura Healey — have launched fraud investigations into whether Exxon downplayed the threat of climate change to its business.

Exxon has aggressively fought the allegations in court, calling the investigations politically motivated and a violation of the company's free speech. An Exxon spokesman declined to comment for this story.

Environmental activists believe they could also use the confirmation hearings to rally support for tackling climate change and to bash Tillerson, who has long been their No. 1 enemy in the fight against fossil fuels.

"[Trump] is handing us campaign opportunities," said Jamie Henn, the co-founder of the environmental group 350.org.

And they warn of severe backlash to the pick.

"There are plenty of other candidates for secretary of State who don’t bring that kind of baggage to the table and would not engender that kind of firestorm at confirmation hearings," said Peter Frumhoff, director of science and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Of the candidates I’ve seen, none would fare worse than Rex Tillerson.”

Potential confirmation hearings could also make for an awkward contrast between Trump and Exxon, which has sought to highlight its environmental credentials in recent years. The company says it supports a tax on carbon emissions and has praised the Paris climate agreement. Trump, in contrast, has called climate change a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese and has promised to pull out of the Paris deal.

Tillerson became Exxon's CEO in 2006 after decades with the company. He is expected to step down in coming months because he'll reach Exxon's mandatory retirement age of 65 in March. Exxon veteran Darren Woods is expected to replace him.

He has a long history in the oil industry that Democrats and environmentalists would be certain to mine ahead of any confirmation hearing. Tillerson, for example, has worked extensively in Russia and the company has long done business in that country. But so far, Trump's transition team has barely vetted Tillerson.

Oil industry officials said they aren't worried about the prospect of Tillerson being tapped for secretary of State, arguing the massive company would soldier on without him. And many in the industry view his nomination as a long shot.

"Exxon is a machine so I doubt it would create a hole for the industry, or the company," one industry official said.

It's unlikely that Tillerson's nomination would face major roadblocks in the Senate. But the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which would approve the nomination, is expected to have 10 Republicans and nine Democrats come January, a breakdown that could complicate Tillerson's nomination if any Republicans announce their opposition.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a member of the committee, has flexed his muscle in recent weeks, signaling his opposition to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and John Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. A Paul spokesman did not respond to a request for comment about Tillerson.

Democrats on the committee like Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) are expected to focus on Exxon' record on climate change during the potential hearings. Markey and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who is not on the committee, have made Exxon a regular fixture in floor speeches and press conferences. Markey's spokesman did not respond to a request for comment and Whitehouse's spokesman declined to comment. A spokesman for Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the panel, also declined to comment.

Tillerson's nomination would likely win approval unless there was a swell of opposition from Republicans, thanks to a 2013 rules change that allows senators to approve most nominations with a simple majority vote.

One lobbyist put it this way: "No doubt that Whitehouse and Markey would be in full battle dress for this one but thanks to the rules change they voted for, [there's] not much they could do — even if the nominee was Donald Duck."