After a hiccup last week, Republicans on a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee seem ready to move forward with the "No More Solyndras Act," which takes aim at the Department of Energy's embattled loan guarantee program.

The Energy and Power Subcommittee began discussing the bill in a markup last week but postponed debate on amendments and a vote on the legislation until this week.

At least part of the delay appears linked to questions over whether Republicans were on the same page on the question of ending the program that notoriously gave the now-defunct Solyndra solar manufacturer $535 million in taxpayer funding in the form of a renewable energy loan guarantee.

The legislation -- which represents a culmination of Rep. Cliff Stearns' (R-Fla.) 17-month Solyndra probe by his Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations -- would set a cutoff date on applications for new loans, place greater reporting requirements on DOE for existing loans and disallow the controversial practice of loan subordination when managing struggling loans.

But at a recent hearing on the measure, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), who helped establish one type of DOE loan guarantee when he chaired the committee in 2005, warned that lawmakers shouldn't be quick to "throw the baby out with the bath water" (E&E Daily, July 13).

Other Republicans, including Reps. Michael Burgess of Texas and Phil Gingrey of Georgia, have also expressed some reservations about ending the program, which also provides project loans to nuclear and advanced coal projects.

Those comments of support earned the members a stinging rebuke from The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

"Republicans will be fiscal frauds if they renew the very money-losing energy programs they attacked Barack Obama for," the paper wrote. "When the next Solyndra goes bankrupt, voters will have more than Mr. Obama to blame."

When he announced that he would be punting the "No More Solyndras Act" debate to this week, Energy and Power Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) said Republicans were "totally committed" to ending the program. He blamed the delay on the fact that he expected some 15 amendments.

But after the panel adjourned, Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), a senior member of the subpanel, acknowledged that Republicans were still trying to get on the same page.

"I think up to today, we weren't sure whether we were actually going to move on the bill or what the bill would be," Shimkus said. "I'm curious as to what's going to happen."

What appears certain is that Democrats -- who see the loan program as a key way for the government to help emerging energy technologies get started -- intend to offer a slew of amendments aimed at taking some teeth out of the bill.

Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) called the legislation a "political bill" designed to keep Solyndra in the news during an election year.

Schedule: The markup begins on Tuesday, July 24, at 4 p.m. in 2123 Rayburn and continues Wednesday, July 25, at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

Reporter Amanda Peterka contributed.