Dan Coats: “I didn't come to interrupt opening statements. I guess they are completed. I do have a point that is directly related to…”

“I didn't come to interrupt opening statements. I guess they are completed. I do have a point that is directly related to this particular appropriations bill which I would like to discuss, and I am going to offer to put forward an amendment as a consequence of this. I am glad the chairwoman and the ranking member are here so I can put this on the Record, and they are familiar with what I am going to do. This is a matter that is important both to my State of Indiana and, I believe, the Federal Government's involvement in subsidizing or loan guarantees or other support for various energy development projects. All of us, I think, are concerned over the situation with Solyndra, where a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to construct a solar panel manufacturing facility has now gone bust, and the taxpayer is on the hook for over $\1/2\ billion of loan guarantee and money that is lost to the taxpayer. That money likely will never be repaid. However, my concern goes beyond Solyndra. I didn't come here to talk about Solyndra. But there is a similar situation that may be occurring and I want to raise this issue because it goes, again, to decisions that are being made by the Department's energy renewal offices relative to loans to private entities and loan guarantees to private entities. This particular situation involves the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing, or ATVM, Loan Program.…”