U.S. ‘addicted to oil,’ Bush says
WASHINGTON – Vowing to break the nation’s “addiction” to foreign oil, President Bush called Tuesday for cutting oil imports from the Middle East by 75 percent over the next 20 years.
“America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world,” said Bush, a former Texas oilman, in the annual nationally televised address to a joint session of Congress. “The best way to break this addiction is through technology.”
That long-term energy goal was a centerpiece of a State of the Union address that combined soaring rhetoric about America’s role in the world with relatively modest policy proposals. Bush vowed to increase production of alternative fuels like ethanol, expand tax breaks for health-care expenses and train more math and science teachers.
Bowing to budget constraints and political realities, Bush laid out few ambitious goals. He essentially gave up on his plan to overhaul Social Security – his top priority in last year’s State of the Union speech – by calling for a bipartisan commission to study changes to the retirement system as part of a broader overhaul of Medicare and Medicaid.
But even as he scaled back his domestic ambitions, Bush reiterated his determination to change the world, focused on the difficult work ahead in Iraq and urged Americans to resist the temptation to turn inward.
“The road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting, yet it ends in danger and decline,” Bush said. “The only alternative to American leadership is a dramatically more dangerous and anxious world.”
Rejecting calls for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Bush said, “There is no peace in retreat.”
Bush won a standing ovation from lawmakers in both parties by taking a tough line against Iran and Hamas, the terrorist organization that won recent Palestinian elections.
He warned Iran that its support for terrorists “must come to an end” and said other nations cannot let Iran acquire nuclear weapons. He said Hamas “must recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism and work for lasting peace.”
Bush delivered his remarks with all of the usual political theater in a chamber packed with lawmakers; top administration officials; foreign diplomats in business attire and traditional garb; and Supreme Court justices, including the court’s newest members, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel Alito.
In keeping with recent tradition, Bush had a surprise guest in the House gallery – a dog. A 5-year-old German shepherd named Rex earned a spot in the balcony beside his military handler, Tech Sgt. Jamie Dana, who was badly injured by a roadside bomb. Dana asked the military to let her keep Rex, which took an act of Congress to grant. Congress added an amendment granting her ownership to a defense bill that passed the end of last year.
The Democrats’ guest list included Iraq war protester Cindy Sheehan, who blames Bush for the death of her son, Casey, in Iraq. Sheehan, who had been invited to the House chamber by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., missed the speech. She was ejected by police before the president arrived and later charged with unlawful conduct for wearing a protest T-shirt.
Bush was blunt about the need for action on oil dependence, but his proposal offered no near-term relief from high gasoline prices. The president’s plan calls for a 22 percent increase in federal spending for research on ethanol, electric cars and other alternatives to fossil fuels.
“To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy,” Bush said. “We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen.”
He said his goal is to develop alternatives to the point where they can displace 75 percent of the oil that’s now imported from the Middle East.