GOP lawmaker: Obama should fire Steven Chu

A top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee said Thursday that President Obama should fire Energy Secretary Steven Chu because of the role he played in approving and restructuring a $535 million loan guarantee to failed solar firm Solyndra.

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), the chairman of the panel’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, told reporters that he agreed with the opinion of Dan Carol, a former Obama administration campaign aide who pressed the White House to replace Chu in an email earlier this year.

{mosads}“I just think he has failed the test, and in my personal opinion, I agree with Dan Carol’s email that at this point he should probably be replaced by the president,” Stearns said.

“The fact that he’s unaware of so many things makes me think that he’s not the best person for the position.”

The White House has stood by Chu in the face of continued criticism from Republicans about his handling of the Solyndra loan guarantee. Chu green-lighted the approval of the loan guarantee in 2009 and the subsequent restructuring in February.

Republicans have alleged the restructuring agreement — which put private investors who agreed to inject more money into the struggling company ahead of taxpayers for repayment if Solyndra liquidated — violated the law.

The White House rebuffed the request by Carol, a green-energy advocate, to replace Chu.

Pete Rouse, a top White House aide, brushed off the criticism of Chu in an email made public earlier this month while asking colleagues for input on Carol’s other views.

Earlier Thursday, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), a top Republican on the committee, said he doesn’t believe Chu should resign, arguing that the White House could be setting the energy secretary up to be the “fall guy” for the Solyndra incident.

{mossecondads}”I don’t think you should resign,” Barton told Chu at the hearing. “I do think that you are a man of integrity trying to do your job as best as you can.”

“I also happen to believe that it’s possible that you are being set up to be the fall guy,” he said.

Chu testified Thursday at a hearing of the investigative subcommittee on Solyndra. He took full responsibility for approving the loan guarantee but rejected Republican allegations that the decision was influenced by politics.