Obama gives energy policy speech at Georgetown University

President Barack Obama gave an update today on a plan concerning the United States’ independence from foreign oil. The major networks cut the live feed of the speech short but continued coverage with analysis and debate about the President’s remarks.

Obama said the nation has known about the energy crisis since Richard Nixon’s presidency, and none of the following administrations had done anything substantial to curb oil dependence. “We can keep going from shock to trance,” he said concerning our observations of gas prices. “We hit the snooze button,” he said after each crisis.

“It's time for us to do what we can to secure our energy future...a plan that is achievable.”

Other sound bites from Obama’s remarks include: “This is a tumultuous time for the world…we are heartbroken by lives lost…people are anxious over cost and security of energy…we have been down this road before…there are no quick fixes…we will keep on being victims of energy...unless we think long term on energy policies.”

His plan includes cutting oil dependence by 1/3, harnessing American ingenuity to solve problems, creating greater fuel efficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and oil imports, learning from the BP oil disaster, placing more restrictions on off shore drilling, and expediting approvals of shallow and deep water driling permits.

Obama was accompanied by several political dignitaries who included members of his cabinet and executive staff as well as mayors who support the President’s energy plan: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Calif.; Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa, Ariz.; Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley.

The speech in its entirety can be viewed by going to the video library at CSpan.org.

©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.