"From the beginning of his time in office when he let the special interest lobbyists write our nation's energy policy in clandestine meetings, President Bush has not put forward a serious energy policy," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "While Democrats have worked hard to put America on a path to energy independence, President Bush has offered little more than sound bites, photo-ops and broken promises. Democrats will continue to work hard to make America energy independent and we invite the President to work with us."

Bush Administration's Record Of Double-Talk On Renewable Energy

Bush's 2007 Budget Spent More On Tax Breaks For Big Oil Than On Renewable Energy. President Bush's 2007 budget provided paltry amounts of money for alternative and renewable energy, far less than the $2 billion the oil and gas industry received in 2007 tax breaks. This is on top of flat funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy research and development. [Statement of Administration Policy on HR. 6 - Energy Policy Act of 2005]

2006: Bush Pledged Renewable Energy Initiative - Then Gutted National Renewable Energy Lab. The day after President Bush pledged to end America's reliance on foreign oil by funding renewable energy initiatives, the Department of Energy announced that 40 researchers at the prestigious National Renewable Energy Laboratory were being laid off because Republican budget cuts had slashed $28 million from the lab's budget. "The Energy Department will begin laying off researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the next week or two because of cuts to its budget. A veteran researcher said the staff had been told that the cuts would be concentrated among researchers in wind and biomass, which includes ethanol. Those are two of the technologies that Mr. Bush cited on Tuesday night as holding the promise to replace part of the nation's oil imports." [New York Times, 2/2/06]

2005: Two Years Ago, The Administration Opposed Measures To Reduce Oil Consumption And To Increase CAFE Standards. [Statement of Administration Policy on HR. 6 - Energy Policy Act of 2005]

Bush Administration Did Not Keep Promise On Reducing Petroleum Consumption. By 2005, the Federal government was to have reduced its petroleum consumption by 20 percent below 1999 levels. Instead, consumption had increased by 1.3 percent. The Federal fleet is not close to meeting that 20 percent goal. The government was also supposed to use alternative fuels for the majority of the total fuel used in those vehicles, but none of the 21 agencies had met that baseline. [DOE - Federal fleet compliance report, 2005, Executive Order 13149]

2004 Campaign: Bush Opposed Renewable Energy Requirement For Electric Companies. "Bush: Opposes a proposal to require electric companies to generate 20 percent of their power from wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and other renewable power by 2020. Supports tax credits for green power." [Gannett, 10/18/04]

The Failed Bush Record On Reducing America's Oil Dependency

Under Bush, America's Dependence on Foreign Oil Has Increased. During the 2000 presidential campaign, Bush criticized the Clinton Administration for allowing U.S. imports on foreign oil to reach 56% of U.S. oil consumption. Five years after President Bush announced his energy plan, U.S. imports of foreign oil have risen to 65% of U.S. consumption. [House Government Reform Committee, Democratic Staff, 3/16/06]

American Families Are Spending Record Amounts for Energy - Nearly $2,000 More Per Family Than Five Years Ago. Five years ago, the average American family spent $3,300 on gasoline, home heating, and electricity. This year, the average American family will spend over $5,100 on gasoline, home heating, and electricity. This is an increase of nearly $2,000 per family. The indirect costs of higher energy prices in the form of higher prices for consumer goods and services are likely to cost families another $1,400 per year. [House Government Reform Committee, Democratic Staff, 3/16/06]