George Bush's position on

Energy Independence: Not a new idea, it has been embraced by every national politician over the past 30 years. The U.S. currently consumes almost 20 million barrels of oil a day, more than half of which is imported. Focus of energy independence is on diminishing the United States dependency on foreign oil imports. Link

Description of candidate's position: Bush has made a long-term energy policy a top priority. His goal is to cut back on reliance of foreign oil by exploring for new domestic sources of energy, investing in new technologies, and promoting affordable, reliable, and secure energy supplies by increasing conservation.

Quotation from the candidate: "The Congress needs to complete work on a comprehensive energy plan. Our nation has got to promote energy conservation and efficiency and develop cleaner technology so we can explore in more environmentally sensitive areas. Yet, for the sake of our economic security, and for the sake of our national security, we must be less dependent on foreign sources of energy." August 11, 2003, from the Bush website.

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: "In his State of the Union Address, President Bush has once again challenged Congress to strengthen our economy and protect national security by passing important energy legislation. On behalf of the 100,000 businesses and millions of workers and energy consumers represented by members of the Coalition for Affordable and Reliable Energy (CARE), I urge you to put aside partisan differences and listen to the message of 84 percent of Americans who support adoption of a comprehensive national energy plan, " stated Paul Oakley, Executive Director of CARE.

Negative: According to a policy paper for the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), David J. Hayes, former Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior stated, "The Bush administration's push for increased energy development on public lands reflects its bias toward an oil and gas, supply-side energy policy. As PPI has explained in previous reports, this policy orientation significantly undervalues the development of non-traditional energy sources (e.g., renewables) and demand-side policies (e.g., increased energy efficiency standards for automobiles, air conditioning systems, and other high demand energy uses)…administration assumptions about new production opportunities on public lands are overstated and misleading."

Comparison: Both Bush and Kerry agree that it is important to lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy. The Bush Administration favors tax and regulatory relief for U.S. energy producers and increasing domestic energy production. Kerry emphasizes more energy conservation measures and focuses on renewable energy and new energy technologies. 

Link to Kerry's issue brief