Republican-Led House Panel Agrees to Subpoena White House on Solyndra Loan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Republican-led House panel has agreed to subpoena White House documents related to Solyndra Inc., the failed California solar company that received a half-billion-dollar federal loan.

By a 14-9 vote, a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee authorized Chairman Fred Upton to issue subpoenas to top White House officials. The Fremont, Calif., company received a $528 million federal loan before filing for bankruptcy protection and laying off 1,100 workers.

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Democrats argued the resolution was too broad and gave Chairman Fred Upton too much power. But Republicans said a subpoena was necessary because the White House has denied or delayed requests for thousands of documents related to Solyndra.

Upton, a Michigan Republican, said getting White House documents on Solyndra was like "extracting a tooth without anesthesia," painful and time-consuming.

An Energy Department spokesman said officials were cooperating with House investigators and have provided more than 80,000 pages of documents.