President George W. Bush addresses the Renewable Energy Conference in St. Louis, Mo., Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006. The President discussed the development of new energy sources that reduce America's consumption of oil, such as hydrogen. "Ultimately, in my judgment, one of the ways to make sure that we become fully less dependent on oil is through hydrogen. And we're spending $1.2 billion to encourage hydrogen fuel cells. It's coming, it's coming," said the President. "It's an interesting industry evolution, to think about your automobiles being powered by hydrogen, and the only emission is water vapor." White House photo by Eric Draper
President Bush on Thursday said, "We've got a really strong economy, and in order to make sure it's strong tomorrow we need to make sure we work on how we use energy. ... We're too dependent on oil. ... And see, low gasoline prices may mask that concern. So, first, I want to tell you that I welcome the low gasoline prices, however it's not going to dim my enthusiasm for making sure we diversify away from oil."
President Bush on Wednesday said, "Our goals remain clear: peace and security in Northeast Asia and a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. We will take the necessary actions to achieve these goals. We will work with the United Nations. We'll support our allies in the region. And together, we will ensure that North Korea understands the consequences if it continues down its current path."
In his 2006 State of the Union Address, President Bush described the state of our Union as strong – and he laid out an agenda of leadership to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom and to build our prosperity by leading the world economy. The President rejected the roads of isolationism and protectionism and called for cooperation and courage in confronting challenges. America will lead freedom's advance, compete and excel in the global economy, and renew the defining moral commitments of this land, confident of victory.
The President announced three new domestic initiatives – the American Competitiveness Initiative, to encourage American innovation and strengthen our Nation's ability to compete in the global economy; the Advanced Energy Initiative, to help break America's dependence on foreign sources of energy; and a comprehensive agenda to make health care in America more affordable, portable, transparent, and efficient. With the right policies, we will maintain America's competitive edge, we will create more jobs, and we will improve the quality of life and standard of living for generations to come.
President Bush laid out ambitious goals for the future, behind which all Americans can unite, and urged the Nation to move forward with the work that needs to be done this year:
One of the principal purposes of the Cabinet is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of their respective offices.