THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.

Last Saturday, I addressed the annual retreat of Democrats from the House of Representatives. I thanked the Members of the new majority for their service in Congress. And we discussed our responsibility to work together on a wide range of issues — from fighting the global war on terror, to making health care more affordable, to balancing the Federal budget.

One area with great potential for bipartisan cooperation is energy policy. The need for action is clear. Our Nation’s reliance on oil leaves us vulnerable to hostile regimes and terrorists, who could damage our economy by disrupting the global oil supply. A spike in oil prices anywhere in the world could lead to higher prices at gas pumps here in America. And burning oil and gasoline creates air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Republicans and Democrats both recognize these problems. We agree on the solution: We need to diversify our energy supply and make America less dependent on foreign oil. The best way to do that is by developing new energy technologies here at home. So the Federal government has provided more than $10 billion over five years for research into alternative sources of energy. Our scientists and engineers have made great progress, and our Nation is now on the threshold of dramatic breakthroughs in clean energy technology.

These advances in energy technology will help us meet a great new national goal: to reduce America’s gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years. I call this goal “Twenty in Ten,” and appreciate the support that many Democrats and Republicans have shown for it.

I know there are different views about the best way to meet this goal. Some say we should increase the supply of alternative fuels. Others say we should decrease demand for gasoline. I believe we need to do both. So on the supply side, I proposed a new mandatory fuels standard that will require the use of 35 billion gallons of renewable and other alternative fuels by 2017. That is nearly a fivefold increase over the current target. On the demand side, I proposed to reform fuel economy standards to make cars more energy efficient, just as my Administration did for light trucks.

This past week, we took a key step toward my “Twenty in Ten” goal when I sent Congress my budget for the next fiscal year. The budget proposes $2.7 billion to expand alternative energy research, a 53 percent increase over the 2006 funding level. These funds will support further research into cellulosic ethanol, which can be produced from sources like wood chips and grasses. These funds will also support promising technologies beyond ethanol, such as new forms of biodiesel, lithium-ion batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells.

I look forward to working with Congress to pass this budget and to meet my “Twenty in Ten” goal. I’m optimistic because the technology we need to achieve this goal is advancing every day. A few weeks ago, I traveled to a DuPont research facility in Delaware, where scientists told me that they are close to making the use of cellulosic ethanol a reality. Imagine what technologies like this would mean for your daily life. You could fill up your gas tank with fuel that comes mostly from an American prairie or farm, instead of an oil well overseas. You could drive to work in a car that runs on electricity instead of gasoline, or on hydrogen fuel cells that emit no pollution. You would see the rise of dynamic new businesses that create jobs for American workers and sell alternative energy products around the world.

This is an ambitious vision, but with the talent and enterprise of our people, it can be achieved. Every Member of Congress who cares about strengthening our economy, protecting our national security, and confronting climate change should support the energy initiatives I have set out. By working together to pass energy legislation soon, we can help solve one of the great challenges facing our generation. And we can leave behind a cleaner and better world for our children and grandchildren.

Thank you for listening.

END

Source: White House Press Office

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THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, I appeared before Congress to report on the state of our union. I asked members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle to join me in confronting the great challenges before us, so we can build a future of hope and opportunity for all Americans.

Two key challenges we face are reducing our dependence on oil and expanding access to affordable health care. I have asked Congress to take several vital steps to address these issues. And while some members gave a reflexive partisan response, I was encouraged that others welcomed this opportunity to reach across the aisle. One Democratic Senator said the initiatives I put forward were “serious proposals” and encouraged his fellow Democrats to “respond in a constructive way.” Another Senate Democrat pledged to work toward these goals “through sincere bipartisan efforts.” This is a good start, and I look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to reform our health care system and increase energy security.

Our Nation’s dependence on oil leaves us vulnerable to hostile regimes and terrorists who can hurt our economy by disrupting our oil supply. To protect America against supply disruptions, I have asked Congress to double the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We also must diversify our Nation’s energy supply, and the way forward is through technology. On Wednesday, I visited DuPont’s Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, where researchers are developing new methods of producing cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels using everything from grasses to cornstalks to agricultural wastes. By expanding our use of renewable and alternative fuels like ethanol, we can become less dependent on oil, and confront the serious challenge of climate change.

To increase the supply of alternative fuels, I’ve asked Congress to join me in setting a mandatory fuel standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017 — nearly five times the current target. At the same time, we need to reform and modernize fuel economy standards for cars the way we did for light trucks, and conserve up to 8.5 billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017. By taking these steps, we can help achieve a great goal: reducing the use of gasoline in the United States by 20 percent in the next ten years, and cutting our total imports by the equivalent of three-quarters of all the oil we now import from the Middle East.

We must also work together to ensure that Americans have accessible and affordable health care. The government has an obligation to provide care for the elderly, the disabled, and poor children; and we will meet these responsibilities. For all other Americans, private insurance is the best way to meet their needs. And this week, I proposed two new initiatives to help more Americans afford their own insurance.

First, we should establish a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Families with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. With this reform, more than 100 million men, women, and children who are now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax bills. This reform will also level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance from their employers. On Thursday, I met an uninsured mother of two children from Overland Park, Kansas. The restaurant where she works does not offer health insurance, and she cannot afford to buy it on her own. My plan would help put a basic health insurance plan within reach of this mom, and millions of uninsured Americans like her.

Second, we must help states that are developing innovative ways to cover the uninsured. States that make basic private health insurance available to all their citizens should receive Federal funds to help them provide this coverage to the poor and the sick. I have proposed using existing Federal funds to create “Affordable Choices” grants. These grants would give our Nation’s governors more money and flexibility to get basic private health insurance to those most in need.

Over the next few weeks, I will be talking more about my energy and health care proposals. We’ve set important goals, and now Republicans and Democrats must work together to make them a reality. Together, we can reduce our dependence on oil, improve health care for more of our citizens, and make life better for all our citizens.

Thank you for listening.

END

Source: White House Press Office

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Sportsbook.com odds on the number of times Bush will say these words during his 2007 State of the Union address on January 23, 2007.

Evil Over/Under 2.5 (-120)
Terrorist/Terrorism/Terror Over/Under 19.5 (-120)
Al Qaeda Over/under 3.5 (-120)
Freedom Over/Under 15.5 (-120)
Democracy Over/Under 2.5 (-120)
God Over/Under 2.5 (-120)

According to a Sportsbook.com press release, “Since the events of September 11, 2001, previous addresses have been notable for the number of times Bush has referred to catch words like terrorism, freedom and Al Qaeda. With Bush facing ever-increasing criticism over his handling of the war in Iraq and the direction the country is heading, Sportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino, offers odds on the number of times Bush will fall back on these words to rally Americans in his State of the Union address next week.”

In the Sportsbook.com press release out today:

In the 2006 State of the Union address, Bush repeatedly referenced the word “terrorist” (or variations such as terrorism and terror) a total of 20 times in a speech that lasted just 51 minutes, a rate of about one reference every two-minutes when you consider a large portion of the speech was dedicated to applause from the pro-Republican Congress. The speech was also littered with almost 20 references to “freedom”.

In fact, in the five State of the Union addresses since September 11, 2001, Bush has used the word terror an average of 24 times per speech, with a record 36 mentions in the 2002 address. Freedom has been said an average of 13 times per speech in that same span while the word “evil” has been included an average of three times. By comparison, in his February 2001 State of the Union address, Bush used the word terror only once, freedom eight times and did not mention the words evil or “democracy”.

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