Democrats want expansion of Solyndra probe?

Democratic Reps. Henry A. Waxman of California, Diana DeGette of Colorado and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts wrote that Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have been frequent critics of the Solyndra collapse while staying quiet on the Open Range bankruptcy.

Solyndra went bankrupt last month after receiving more than a half-billion dollars in federal loan guarantees in 2009. Republicans have been investigating and holding hearings on whether the Obama administration ignored warnings about the company’s finances before awarding the loans.

“Like Solyndra, however, the Open Range loan puts millions of taxpayer dollars at risk,” said Mr. Waxman, Ms. DeGette and Mr. Markey. “The main distinction between the Solyndra guarantee and the Open Range loan appears to be that the Open Range loan was approved in 2008, when President Bush was in office.”