[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 17 (Monday, May 2, 2005)]
[Pages 675-681]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the Small Business Administration's National Small Business 
Week Conference

April 27, 2005

    Thanks for the warm welcome. I appreciate such a generous welcome. 
Marianne, thank you for your introduction, and congratulations on being 
the Small Business Person of the Year. You had some pretty stiff 
competition. [Laughter] I appreciate the courage that Marianne has shown 
and her determination to succeed. She is proof that the entrepreneurial 
spirit in America is really strong.
    I want to thank Hector Barreto, the SBA Administrator. I appreciate 
the fine job he's done. It was my honor to meet the--some of the State 
Small Business Person of the Year honorees. Congratulations. I 
appreciate

[[Page 676]]

the Ambassadors who are here. Embajadores, thank you for coming. And I 
appreciate you all giving me a chance to come by and visit with you. 
[Laughter]
    I appreciate the fact that our small-business owners are taking 
risks and pursuing dreams, and as a result, you're creating jobs for 
millions of our citizens. A vibrant small-business sector is important 
for the economic health of our country. I appreciate the fact that the 
small-business entrepreneurs are some of the great innovators in our 
Nation. After all, men and women who run small businesses have a vision 
to see beyond what is and the courage to pursue what might be.
    From Thomas Edison's light bulb to Alexander Graham Bell's telephone 
to Henry Ford's Model T, most Americans--most of America's great 
inventions began with the innovative spirit of entrepreneurs. And today, 
a new generation of entrepreneurs is leading a technological revolution 
that will transform our lives in incredible ways. I'm going to spend a 
little time talking about how technology can help us.
    One of the roles of an administration is to set an agenda, a clear 
agenda. I've laid out an agenda that I believe will unleash the 
innovative spirit of our small-business entrepreneurs. We can't make you 
successful, but we can create an environment in which people can dream 
big dreams in which people are willing to risk capital. We need to keep 
your taxes low. We need to protect you from needless regulation and the 
burden of junk lawsuits. We'll continue to work to open up new markets 
for your products. The House of Representatives and the United States 
Senate needs to pass CAFTA legislation, free-market agreement with 
Central America.
    We'll continue to work to lower the cost of health care by insisting 
that health care modernize itself through electronic records and helping 
to spread health savings accounts--they're particularly good for small 
businesses--and to work with the United States Congress to finally pass 
medical liability reform. I look forward to working with the Congress to 
create association health plans so small businesses can buy insurance, 
can pool risk across jurisdictional boundaries so they can buy insurance 
at the same discounts that big businesses can.
    As small-business owners, you know that a dollar should be spent 
wisely or not at all. That same standard ought to apply to the Federal 
Government when it comes time to spending your money. I've submitted a 
disciplined budget to the Congress that meets our priorities, that 
restrains Federal spending and keeps us on track to cut the deficit in 
half by 2009. I appreciate the fact that the Senate has passed a version 
of the budget and the House has passed a version of the budget. Now it's 
time for them to come together and pass a budget resolution this week.
    By restraining Federal spending, by keeping taxes low, we'll keep 
this economy growing and keep the innovative spirit strong. But in order 
to make sure our economy grows, in order to make sure people are still 
able to find opportunity, in order to encourage small-business sector 
growth and vitality, we need to address a major problem facing our 
country, and that is our Nation's growing dependence on foreign sources 
of energy.
    Technology is allowing us to better use our existing energy 
resources. And in the years ahead, technology will allow us to create 
entirely new sources of energy in ways earlier generations could never 
dream. Technology is the ticket, is this Nation's ticket to greater 
energy independence, and that's what I want to talk about today. I fully 
understand that many folks around this country are concerned about the 
high price of gasoline. I know small-business owners are.
    I went to Fort Hood the other day--it's right around the corner from 
Crawford--[laughter]--and sat down with some of our troops, and we had 
dinner--lunch, in Texas they call dinner--[laughter]--the noon meal and 
supper the evening meal. [Laughter] I'm trying to standardize the 
language. [Laughter] We sat down for lunch. [Laughter]
    And I was asking the soldiers, you know, what was on your mind--what 
was on their mind. And a fellow said, ``Why don't you lower gas prices--
gasoline prices, Mr. President?'' Obviously, gasoline prices were on his 
mind. I said, ``I wish I could. If I could, I would.'' I explained to 
him that the higher cost of gasoline is a problem that has been

[[Page 677]]

years in the making. To help in the near term, we'll continue to 
encourage oil-producing countries to maximize their production, to say 
to countries that have got some excess capacity, ``Get it on the market 
so you do not destroy the consumers that you rely upon to buy your 
energy.''
    We're doing everything we can to make sure our consumers are treated 
fairly, that there is no price gouging. Yet, the most important thing we 
can do today is to address the fundamental problem of our energy 
situation. That's the most important thing we can do. And the 
fundamental problem is this: Our supply of energy is not growing fast 
enough to meet the demands of our growing economy.
    Over the past decade, our energy consumption has increased by more 
than 12 percent, while our domestic production has increased by less 
than one-half of 1 percent. A growing economy causes us to consume more 
energy. And yet, we're not producing energy here at home, which means 
we're reliant upon foreign nations. And at the same time we've become 
more reliant upon foreign nations, the global demand for energy is 
growing faster than the global supply. Other people are using more 
energy as well, and that's contributed to a rise in prices.
    Because of our foreign energy dependence, our ability to take 
actions at home that will lower prices for American families is 
diminishing. Our dependence on foreign energy is like a foreign tax on 
the American people. It's a tax our citizens pay every day in higher 
gasoline prices and higher costs to heat and cool their homes. It's a 
tax on jobs, and it's a tax that is increasing every year.
    The problem is clear. This problem did not develop overnight, and 
it's not going to be fixed overnight. But it's now time to fix it. See, 
we've got a fundamental question we've got to face here in America: Do 
we want to continue to grow more dependent on other nations to meet our 
energy needs, or do we want to do what is necessary to achieve greater 
control of our economic destiny?
    I made my decision. I know what is important for this country to 
become less dependent on foreign sources of energy, and that requires a 
national strategy. Now, when I first got elected, I came to Washington 
and I said, ``We need a national strategy,'' and I submitted a national 
strategy to the United States Congress. And it has been stuck. And now 
it's time for the Congress to pass the legislation necessary for this 
country to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    And the most important component of our strategy is to recognize the 
transformational power of technology. Over the last quarter century, 
technology has radically changed the way we live and work. Think about 
this: Just 25 years ago--for a guy 58 years old, that doesn't seem all 
that long ago--[laughter]--if you're 24 years old, it's a heck of a long 
time ago. [Laughter] In the 1980s, most Americans used typewriters 
instead of computers. We used pay phones instead of cell phones. We used 
carbon paper instead of laser printers. We had bank tellers instead of 
ATMs. [Laughter] We had Rolodexes instead of PDAs. And for long family 
trips, we played the ``license plate'' game--[laughter]--instead of in-
car DVDs. [Laughter] We've seen a lot of change in a quick period of 
time, haven't we?
    I believe the next 25 years, the changes are going to be even more 
dramatic. Our country is on the doorstep of incredible technological 
advances that will make energy more abundant and more affordable for our 
citizens. By harnessing the power of technology, we're going to be able 
to grow our economy, protect our environment, and achieve greater energy 
independence. That's why I'm so optimistic about our future here in 
America.
    The first essential step toward greater energy independence is to 
apply technology to increase domestic production from existing energy 
resources. And one of the most promising sources of energy is nuclear 
power. Today's technology has made nuclear power safer, cleaner, and 
more efficient than ever before. Nuclear power is now providing about 20 
percent of America's electricity, with no air pollution or greenhouse 
gas emissions. Nuclear power is one of the safest, cleanest sources of 
power in the world, and we need more of it here in America.
    Unfortunately, America has not ordered a new nuclear powerplant 
since the 1970s.

[[Page 678]]

France, by contrast, has built 58 plants in the same period. And today, 
France gets more than 78 percent of its electricity from safe, clean 
nuclear power.
    It's time for America to start building again. That's why, 3 years 
ago, my administration launched the Nuclear Power 2010 Initiative. This 
is a 7-year, $1.1 billion effort by Government and industry to start 
building new nuclear powerplants by the end of this decade. One of the 
greatest obstacles we face to building new plants is regulatory 
uncertainty, which discourages new plant construction. Since the 1970s, 
more than 35 plants were stopped at various stages of planning and 
construction because of bureaucratic obstacles. No wonder--no wonder the 
industry is hesitant to start building again. We must provide greater 
certainty to those who risk capital if we want to expand a safe, clean 
source of energy that will make us less dependent on foreign sources of 
energy.
    To do so, I've asked the Department of Energy to work on changes to 
existing law that will reduce uncertainty in the nuclear plant licensing 
process and also provide Federal risk insurance that will protect those 
building the first four new nuclear plants against delays that are 
beyond their control. A secure energy future for America must include 
more nuclear power.
    A secure energy future for America also means building and expanding 
American oil refineries. Technology has allowed us to better control 
emissions and improve the efficiency and environmental performance of 
our existing refineries. Yet there have been no new oil refineries built 
in the United States since 1976, and existing refineries are running at 
nearly full capacity. Our demand for gasoline grows, which means we're 
relying more on foreign imports of refined product.
    To encourage the expansion of existing facilities, the EPA is 
simplifying rules and regulations. I will direct Federal agencies to 
work with States to encourage the building of new refineries on closed 
military facilities, for example, and to simplify the permitting process 
for such construction. By easing the regulatory burden, we can refine 
more gasoline for our citizens here at home. That will help assure 
supply and reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy.
    Advances in technology will also allow us to open up new areas to 
environmentally responsible exploration for oil and natural gas, 
including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Technology now makes it 
possible to reach ANWR's hydrocarbons by drilling on just 2,000 acres of 
the 19 million acres of land. That's just one-tenth of 1 percent of 
ANWR's total area. Because of the advances in technology, we can reach 
the oil deposits with almost no impact on land or local wildlife. 
Developing this tiny section of ANWR could eventually yield up to a 
million barrels of oil per day. That's a million barrels less that we've 
depended on from foreign sources of energy. Listen, the more oil we can 
produce in environmentally sensitive ways here at home, the less 
dependent our economy is, the less reliant we are on other parts of the 
world.
    Technology is allowing us to make better use of natural gas. Natural 
gas is an important source of energy for industries like agriculture or 
manufacturing or power production. The United States has the sixth-
largest proven reserves of natural gas in the world, and we'll do more 
to develop this vital resource. That's why I signed into law a tax 
credit to encourage a new pipeline to bring Alaskan natural gas to the 
rest of the United States.
    Technology is also helping us to get at reserves of natural gas that 
cannot be reached--easily reached by pipelines. Today, we're able to 
super-cool natural gas into liquid form so it can be transported on 
tankers and stored more easily. Thanks to this technology, our imports 
of liquefied natural gas nearly doubled in 2003. Last year, imports rose 
another 29 percent. But our ability to expand our use of liquefied 
natural gas is limited, because today, we have just five receiving 
terminals and storage facilities around the United States.
    To take advantage of this new--this technology, Federal agencies 
must expedite the review of the 32 proposed new projects that will 
either expand or build new liquefied natural gas terminals. In other 
words, there's projects on the books, and we're going to get after the 
review process. Congress should

[[Page 679]]

make it clear to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission its authority 
to choose sites for new terminals, so we can expand our use of liquefied 
natural gas.
    Technology also allows us to use our most abundant energy source in 
a smart way. America has enough coal to last for 250 years. But coal 
presents an environmental challenge. To make cleaner use of this 
resource, I have asked Congress for more than $2 billion over 10 years 
for my Coal Research Initiative. It's a program that will encourage new 
technologies that remove virtually all pollutants from coal-fired 
powerplants. My Clear Skies Initiative will result in more than $52 
billion in investment in clean coal technologies by the private sector. 
To achieve greater energy dependence, we must put technology to work so 
we can harness the power of clean coal.
    The second essential step toward greater energy independence is to 
harness technology to create new sources of energy. Hydrogen is one of 
the most promising of these new sources of energy. Two years ago, my 
administration launched a crash program called the Hydrogen Fuel 
Initiative. We've already dedicated $1.2 billion over 5 years to this 
effort to develop hydrogen-powered fuel cells. We know that when 
hydrogen is used in the fuel cell, it has the power to--potential to 
power anything from a cell phone to a computer to an automobile that 
emits pure water instead of exhaust fumes.
    I've asked Congress for an additional 500 million over 5 years to 
help move advanced technology vehicles from the research lab to the 
dealership lot. See, I want the children here in America--you two are 
sitting there--to be able to take your driver's test in a completely 
pollution-free car that will make us less dependent on foreign sources 
of energy. To help produce fuel for these cars, my administration has 
also launched a Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative, an effort to develop 
advanced nuclear technologies that can produce hydrogen fuels for cars 
and trucks. My budgets have dedicated $35 million over the past 3 years 
and will continue this effort.
    In other words, we're developing new technologies that will change 
the way we drive. See, I know what we're going to need to do for a 
generation to come. We need to get on a path away from the fossil fuel 
economy. If we want to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy, 
we must develop new ways to power automobiles. My administration is 
committed to finding those new ways, and we're working with industry to 
do so.
    Ethanol is another promising source of energy. I like the idea of 
people growing corn that gets converted into fuel for cars and trucks. 
Our farmers can help us become less dependent on foreign oil. Technology 
is now under development that may one day allow us to get ethanol from 
agricultural and industrial waste.
    We can produce another renewable fuel, biodiesel, from leftover fats 
and vegetable oils. I mean, we're exploring a lot of alternatives. 
Ethanol and biodiesel have got great potential. And that's why I've 
supported a flexible, cost-effective renewable fuel standard as part of 
the energy bill. This proposal would require fuel producers to include a 
certain percentage of ethanol and biodiesel in their fuel and would 
increase the amount of these renewables in our Nation's fuel supply. 
Listen, more corn means more ethanol, which means less imported oil.
    Technology can also help us tap into a vital source that flows 
around us all the time, and that is wind. That's why I've asked Congress 
to provide 1.9 billion over 10 years for tax incentives for renewable 
energy technologies like wind, as well as residential solar heating 
systems and energy produced from landfill gas and biomass. An energy 
strategy must be comprehensive, all aimed at making us less dependent.
    A third essential step toward greater energy independence is to 
harness the power of technology so we can continue to become better 
conservers of energy. Already, technology is helping us grow our economy 
while using less energy. For example, in 1997, the U.S. steel industry 
used 45 percent less energy to produce a ton of steel than it did in 
1975. The forest and paper industry used 21 percent less energy to 
produce a ton of paper. In other words, we're making advances in 
conservation. And in the years ahead, if we're smart about what we do, 
we can become even more productive while conserving even more energy.

[[Page 680]]

    Technological advances are helping develop new products that give 
our consumers the same and even better performance at lower cost by 
using less energy. Think about this: You can buy a refrigerator that 
uses the same amount of power as a 75-watt light bulb. It's a remarkable 
advance when it comes to helping consumers save money on energy. 
Advances in energy-efficient windows keep hot and cold air in and 
prevent your dollars from flowing out. High efficiency light bulbs last 
longer than traditional ones, while requiring less electricity.
    These and other technological advances are saving our consumers a 
lot of money, and there's more work to be done. Let me tell you this, in 
2001, the average American family spent about half as much to heat its 
home as it did in 1978. Think about what's possible over the next 25 
years. We can imagine a day when technologies like solar panels, high-
efficiency appliances, and advanced installation will allow us to build 
zero-energy homes that produce as much energy as they consume. That's 
the promise that technology holds for us all.
    And as we make our homes more energy-efficient, we're doing the same 
with our automobiles. Hybrid vehicles are one of the most promising 
technologies immediately available to consumers. These cars are powered 
by a combination of gasoline and electricity. They provide better fuel 
efficiency, ultra-low emissions, and exceptional performance. And their 
electronic systems are paving the way for tomorrow's hydrogen-powered 
vehicles.
    We're encouraging automakers to produce a new generation of modern, 
clean diesel cars and trucks. My administration has issued new rules 
that will remove more than 90 percent of the sulfur in diesel fuel by 
2010. Clean diesel technology will allow consumers to travel much 
farther on each gallon of fuel, without the smoke and pollution of past 
diesel engines. We've proposed $2.5 billion over 10 years in tax credits 
that will encourage consumers to buy energy-efficient hybrid cars and 
trucks, and we need to extend these incentives to include clean diesel 
vehicles as well.
    As we conserve energy at home and on the road, technology will help 
us deliver it more efficiently. New technologies such as superconducting 
powerlines can help us bring our electrical grid into the 21st century 
and protect American families and businesses from damaging power 
outages. Some of you who live in the Midwest and on the east coast know 
what I'm talking about, damaging power outages. We have modern 
interstate grids for our phonelines and our highways. It's time for 
America to build a modern electricity grid.
    The electricity title is an important part of the energy bill. As a 
matter of fact, a lot of which I've discussed so far is an important 
part of the energy bill that needs to get passed by the United States 
Congress before August of this year. The House acted, and I appreciate 
the leadership in the House. Now it's time for the United States Senate 
to act. And then it's time for them to get together and iron out their 
differences and get me a bill so I can sign.
    The fourth essential step toward greater energy independence is to 
make sure other nations can take advantage in advances--take advantage 
of the advances in technology to reduce their own demand. Listen, we 
need to remember that the market for energy is a global one, and we're 
not the only large consumer. Much of the current projected rise in 
energy prices is due to rising energy consumption in Asia. As Asian 
economies grow, their demand for energy is growing, and the demand for 
energy is growing faster than the supply of energy is increasing. And as 
small-business people, you understand what happens when demand is larger 
than supply; you hope that's the case for the products you produce. 
[Laughter] Our costs--our prices are going up. It is in our interest to 
help these countries become more energy self-sufficient. That will help 
reduce demand, which will help take pressure off price and, at the same 
time, help protect the environment.
    I'm looking forward to going to a G-8 meeting in July in Great 
Britain. And there I'm going to work with developed nations, our friends 
and allies to help developing nations, countries like China and India to 
develop and deploy clean energy technology. Like us, some of these 
countries have got substantial coal reserves. We need to find

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practical ways to help these countries take advantage of clean coal 
technology.
    As well we will explore ways we can work with like-minded countries 
to develop advance nuclear technologies that are safe, clean, and 
protect against proliferation. With these technologies, with the 
expansion of nuclear power, we can relieve stress on the environment and 
reduce global demand for fossil fuels. That would be good for the world, 
and that would be good for American consumers as well.
    This strategy will work for our children and our grandchildren. We 
should have put this in place several decades ago. We haven't had a 
national energy strategy in this country for a long period of time. I 
tried to get the Congress to pass it 4 years ago. Now is the time for 
them to act. For the sake of this country, for the sake of a growing 
economy, and for the sake of national security, we've got to do what it 
takes to expand our independence. We must become less dependent. And 
there's no doubt in my mind that technology is going to help us achieve 
that objective.
    One reason why I believe so strongly is because free societies are 
able to adjust to the times, and we're the freest of free societies. 
We're a society where it doesn't matter where you were raised or where 
you're from. If you've got a dream, you can pursue it and realize your 
dream.
    Our country has always responded to challenges because we've got 
people with such great imaginations and such drive and such 
determination. Twenty-five years from now, people are going to look back 
and say, ``I like my hydrogen-powered automobile''--[laughter]--you 
know, ``I produced a little extra energy this year from my home.'' Our 
farmers are going to be saying, ``You know, the crop's up, and we're 
less dependent.''
    Now is the time to put that strategy in place. Now is the time to do 
the right thing for America. Now is the time to set aside political 
differences and focus on what is good for the United States of America. 
And with your help, we'll achieve that.
    God bless you all. Thanks for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 2:16 p.m. at the Hilton Washington Hotel. 
In his remarks, he referred to Marianne Sensale-Guerin, president and 
owner, Guerin Associates, LLC, and 2005 SBA National Small Business 
Person of the Year.