Diana DeGette

In my 15 years on this committee, we have had a strong tradition of thorough and meaningful bipartisan investigations.

But let me be clear: None of us on my side of the aisle are here to defend or to apologize for the actions of anyone in the administration or in the White House in particular.

Unfortunately, instead of conducting a serious inquiry into the facts relating to Solyndra and the lessons we can learn from this case, the majority, to date, as evidenced by my colleague's opening statement, has focused on firing partisan…

This investigation, we all believe, is of critical importance to the American public, both so we can get to the bottom of what happened to over half a billion dollars of taxpayer money in the short term and also to ensure the knowledge we…

It is urgent to find effective ways to help Americans prepare for and finance their long-term care needs.

We cannot and we should not give up.

I just want to clarify once and for all the unanimous consent that we have on these documents.

The documents from the Department of Energy were not produced under subpoena.

Many of the emails that have been put in the record, interviews have not been conducted with the authors of those emails either.

That's not a real reasoned legal opinion, Mr. Chairman.

We need to have a full investigation. We need to have all of the evidence in the record.

So to say today the Republicans have held exculpatory evidence for months, I am sorry to be incendiary, but that's a lie.

I think that's a pretty incendiary statement, and I don't think we know.

I think we really need to know what they're doing.

In fact, it's the Department of Energy that's charged with implementing the statute that authorizes the DOE loan guarantee program, correct?

Let's not do this investigation piecemeal, let's do a whole investigation, let's get all the facts out there.

But that approach only serves to ensure that half the story is told today.

Right here in Congress is where the rubber hits the road.

It seems to me the point of this hearing was to bring a whole bunch of people in to testify as to their political beliefs about what the President should or shouldn't be doing.

The President can't unilaterally make cuts, he can propose cuts, right?

The only body that can actually make cuts is Congress when it passes those 12 appropriations bills, right?

The Constitution places the primary responsibility for the Federal budget at Congress's feet, not the President, right?

No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law, and The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes and to borrow money on the credit of the United States.

We need to face reality and stop denying science. Climate change is real, and it is caused by man.

It is critically important that we understand a number of factors: First, whether the Bush and Obama administrations conducted due diligence on the loan guarantee.