The Democratic-run House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on today authorized subpoenas for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan and RNC e-mails as it ramps up a number of investigations of the Bush administration.

Chairman Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., announced that the panel would put off until Thursday expected action to compel testimony from former White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card to consider an offer by White House counsel Fred Fielding, who earlier had declined a request for Card’s voluntary testimony.

Waxman also said “substantial compliance” had eliminated the need to subpoena information about work done for Vice President Dick Cheney’s office by defense contractor MZM Inc., which was at the center of the bribery scandal that landed former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, R-Calif. (1991-2005), in a federal prison.

Waxman has been trying to get Rice to testify about claims Iraq was attempting to obtain uranium, a vital element for nuclear weaponry, in the buildup to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. The committee voted 21-10 to authorize him to issue a subpoena to Rice.

In a separate matter, Waxman and other Democrats have raised concerns about whether White House officials are using private RNC e-mail accounts to conduct public business. The panel voted 20-8 to authorize a subpoena for Duncan and authorized one for RNC documents by voice vote.