House Republicans are drafting a reform law intended to restrict
political appointees’ ability to award loans and grants in the face of
opposition from civil servants, Rep. Darrell Issa, the GOP chairman of
the House oversight committee, told The Daily Caller.
The new bill is emerging from the Republicans’ extensive investigation into the White House’s $60 billion effort to boost green-tech companies, many of which have gone belly-up after getting large government grants and loan guarantees.
“We’ve learned enough to know that real reform is needed” to prevent appointees from overruling civil servants’ advice, Issa said. The White House’s sidelining of civil servants’ recommendations is “probably [a] violation of the law,” he said.
The investigation has focused on the White House’s support for Solyndra, a solar panel firm that went bankrupt in 2010 at a cost of $500 million to taxpayers. That scandal has deeply damaged public support for the green-tech initiative, and has prompted Obama’s 2012 campaign to run TV ads defending the president’s program.
The planned reform would ensure that any decision to provide companies with grants and loan guarantees “has to be backed by science and career professionals,” Issa said.
However, the bill likely won’t be introduced until after the presidential election, he said. Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a more limited No More Solyndras Act Thursday.
The GOP investigation has been aided by the examination of emails among White House officials, including emails sent via non-government networks.
The new bill is emerging from the Republicans’ extensive investigation into the White House’s $60 billion effort to boost green-tech companies, many of which have gone belly-up after getting large government grants and loan guarantees.
“We’ve learned enough to know that real reform is needed” to prevent appointees from overruling civil servants’ advice, Issa said. The White House’s sidelining of civil servants’ recommendations is “probably [a] violation of the law,” he said.
The investigation has focused on the White House’s support for Solyndra, a solar panel firm that went bankrupt in 2010 at a cost of $500 million to taxpayers. That scandal has deeply damaged public support for the green-tech initiative, and has prompted Obama’s 2012 campaign to run TV ads defending the president’s program.
The planned reform would ensure that any decision to provide companies with grants and loan guarantees “has to be backed by science and career professionals,” Issa said.
However, the bill likely won’t be introduced until after the presidential election, he said. Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a more limited No More Solyndras Act Thursday.
The GOP investigation has been aided by the examination of emails among White House officials, including emails sent via non-government networks.
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