NEARLY NINE MONTHS INTO INVESTIGATION WHITE HOUSE STILL REFUSES TO COOPERATE

NOV. 3, 2011 – “We have exercised restraint and patience during the course of this eight month investigation,” said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.  “And the Administration has resisted our efforts every step of the way. Earlier this year, OMB repeatedly failed to cooperate with our investigation and we agreed to put off a vote on that subpoena because we were assured that engaging in a dialogue with the Administration and the Minority would resolve all of the problems without the need to resort to a subpoena.  But that slow walking was just a stalling tactic, and we were forced to issue a subpoena several weeks later.  We have a Constitutional duty to investigate this issue, pursuant to our oversight and legislative functions.  We have an obligation to the American people to find out what went wrong with this loan guarantee program.”

Added Stearns, “This inquiry has found a cause for great alarm over the political influence contaminating the DOE loan guarantee program. Documents reveal a disturbing prevalence of wealthy donors and bundlers littered throughout the loan guarantee process, with direct access to the President’s West Wing inner circle. It is unfortunate that it has come to authorizing a subpoena, but we do not have any faith in the White House’s overtures – they seem to simply want to delay and obstruct.”

The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee today voted 14 to 9, along party lines, to authorize the subpoena for White House documents relating to the Solyndra loan guarantee.