Remarks by the Presidenton Jobs, Energy Independence, and Climate Change

[obama democrat]

Good morning. Before I begin today's announcement, I want to say a
few words about the deepening economic crisis that we've inherited and
the need for urgent action.

Over the last few days we've learned that Microsoft, Intel, United
Airlines, Home Depot, Sprint Nextel, and Caterpillar are each cutting
thousands of jobs. These are not just numbers on a page. As with the
millions of jobs lost in 2008, these are working men and women whose
families have been disrupted and whose dreams have been put on hold.

We owe it to each of them and to every, single American to act with a
sense of urgency and common purpose. We can't afford distractions and
we cannot afford delays. And that is why I look forward to signing an
American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will put millions of
Americans to work and lay the foundation for stable growth that our
economy needs and that our people demand. These are extraordinary
times and it calls for swift and extraordinary action.

At a time of such great challenge for America, no single issue is as
fundamental to our future as energy. America's dependence on oil is
one of the most serious threats that our nation has faced. It
bankrolls dictators, pays for nuclear proliferation, and funds both
sides of our struggle against terrorism. It puts the American people
at the mercy of shifting gas prices, stifles innovation and sets back
our ability to compete.

These urgent dangers to our national and economic security are
compounded by the long-term threat of climate change, which if left
unchecked could result in violent conflict, terrible storms, shrinking
coastlines and irreversible catastrophe. These are the facts and they
are well known to the American people -- after all, there is nothing
new about these warnings. Presidents have been sounding the alarm
about energy dependence for decades. President Nixon promised to make
our energy -- our nation energy independent by the end of the 1970s.
When he spoke, we imported about a third of our oil; we now import
more than half.

Year after year, decade after decade, we've chosen delay over decisive
action. Rigid ideology has overruled sound science. Special
interests have overshadowed common sense. Rhetoric has not led to the
hard work needed to achieve results. Our leaders raise their voices
each time there's a spike in gas prices, only to grow quiet when the
price falls at the pump.

Now America has arrived at a crossroads. Embedded in American soil
and the wind and the sun, we have the resources to change. Our
scientists, businesses and workers have the capacity to move us
forward. It falls on us to choose whether to risk the peril that
comes with our current course or to seize the promise of energy
independence. For the sake of our security, our economy and our
planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change.

It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence
on foreign oil, while building a new energy economy that will create
millions of jobs. We hold no illusion about the task that lies
ahead. I cannot promise a quick fix; no single technology or set of
regulations will get the job done. But we will commit ourselves to
steady, focused, pragmatic pursuit of an America that is free from our
energy dependence and empowered by a new energy economy that puts
millions of our citizens to work.

Today, I'm announcing the first steps on our journey toward energy
independence, as we develop new energy, set new fuel efficiency
standards, and address greenhouse gas emissions. Each step begins to
move us in a new direction, while giving us the tools that we need to
change.

First, we must take bold action to create a new American energy
economy that creates millions of jobs for our people. The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Plan before Congress places a down payment
on this economy. It will put 460,000 Americans to work, with clean
energy investments and double the capacity to generate alternative
energy over the next three years. It will lay down 3,000 miles of
transmission lines to deliver this energy to every corner of our
country. It will save taxpayers $2 billion a year by making 75
percent of federal buildings more efficient. And it will save working
families hundreds of dollars on their energy bills by weatherizing 2
million homes.

This is the boost that our economy needs, and the new beginning that
our future demands. By passing the bill, Congress can act where
Washington has failed to act over and over again for 30 years. We
need more than the same old empty promises. We need to show that this
time it will be different. This is the time that Americans must come
together on behalf of our common prosperity and security.

Second, we must ensure that the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow are
built right here in the United States of America. Increasing fuel
efficiency in our cars and trucks is one of the most important steps
that we can take to break our cycle of dependence on foreign oil. It
will also help spark the innovation needed to ensure that our auto
industry keeps pace with competitors around the world.

We will start by implementing new standards for model year 2011 so
that we use less oil and families have access to cleaner, more
efficient cars and trucks. This rule will be a down payment on a
broader and sustained effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Congress has passed legislation to increase standards to at least 35
miles per gallon by 2020. That 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency
for our cars and trucks could save over 2 million barrels of oil every
day -- nearly the entire amount of oil that we import from the Persian
Gulf.

Going forward, my administration will work on a bipartisan basis in
Washington and with industry partners across the country to forge a
comprehensive approach that makes our economy stronger and our nation
more secure.

Third, the federal government must work with, not against, states to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. California has shown bold and
bipartisan leadership through its effort to forge 21st century
standards, and over a dozen states have followed its lead. But
instead of serving as a partner, Washington stood in their way. This
refusal to lead risks the creation of a confusing and patchwork set of
standards that hurts the environment and the auto industry.

The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration
will not deny facts, we will be guided by them. We cannot afford to
pass the buck or push the burden onto the states. And that's why I'm
directing the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately review
the denial of the California waiver request and determine the best way
forward. This will help us create incentives to develop new energy
that will make us less dependent on oil that endangers our security,
our economy, and our planet.

As we move forward, we will fully take into account the unique
challenges facing the American auto industry and the taxpayer dollars
that now support it. And let me be clear: Our goal is not to further
burden an already struggling industry. It is to help America's
automakers prepare for the future. This commitment must extend beyond
the short-term assistance for businesses and workers. We must help
them thrive by building the cars of tomorrow, and galvanizing a
dynamic and viable industry for decades to come.

Finally, we will make it clear to the world that America is ready to
lead. To protect our climate and our collective security, we must
call together a truly global coalition. I've made it clear that we
will act, but so too must the world. That's how we will deny leverage
to dictators and dollars to terrorists. And that's how we will ensure
that nations like China and India are doing their part, just as we are
now willing to do ours.

It's time for America to lead, because this moment of peril must be
turned into one of progress. If we take action, we can create new
industries and revive old ones; we can open new factories and power
new farms; we can lower costs and revive our economy. We can do that,
and we must do that. There's much work to be done. There is much
further for us to go.

But I want to be clear from the beginning of this administration that
we have made our choice. America will not be held hostage to
dwindling resources, hostile regimes, and a warming planet. We will
not be put off from action because action is hard. Now is the time to
make the tough choices. Now is the time to meet the challenge at this
crossroad of history by choosing a future that is safer for our
country, prosperous for our planet, and sustainable.

Those are my priorities, and they're reflected in the executive orders
that I'm about to sign. Thank you so much for being here.