Healy Baumgardner, an Energy Department spokeswoman, confirmed his appointment to The News. Seward didn't return calls this week seeking comment. The Energy Department is trying to meet a congressional deadline of Nov. 30 to write the regulations for the program and has sought information from Detroit's Big Three automakers. Automakers said they were working with the department to ensure the loans were quickly dispatched. Under the program, they could save more than $100 million per $1 billion on borrowing costs and seek a five-year deferment of repayments. The loans would come at a time when Detroit automakers are burning through cash and trying to cut costs and raise more money to boost liquidity. 'Ford is absolutely committed to delivering leading fuel economy and bringing advanced technologies to market, and the direct loans will help us move faster,' said Ford Motor Co. spokesman Mike Moran. 'The company is working with the DOE to ensure the program gets implemented quickly.' The Energy Department drew the ire of automakers and Michigan lawmakers in late September after Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman sent a letter to Capitol Hill that warned it could take 'six to 18 months or more' to approve and distribute loans, citing a number of legal hurdles. 'DOE has always had an open line of communication with the automakers -- an industry we highly support -- as part of our advanced vehicle technology program, among others,' Baumgardner said. Congress approved $7.5 billion to cover the costs and risk of default of the program, which was created, but not funded, by a December 2007 energy law. The News has learned that some within the administration have raised questions about whether the risks of default have increased, and only a portion of the $25 billion should be loaned. Baumgardner declined to predict the outcome. 'We've begun the rulemaking. At this point, to predict possible outcomes would be speculatory,' she said. Automakers are being challenged by a provision in the loan program that says they must establish that they are 'financially viable' without the loans (a requirement of the law) and by what type of collateral the government might seek for the loans. You can reach David Shepardson at (202) 662-8735 or dshepardsondteom.