Weaning America off its addiction to foreign oil is one of the defining challenges of our time. Our ability to grapple with this issue will affect our nation in profound ways. It will affect our finances, our economy, our environment and, most importantly, the quality of the world that we will leave to our children. Unfortunately, today we are not doing nearly enough to meet this challenge. This is brought into stark reality when you realize that since the attack on 9/11, we import more oil today than we did on that terrible day.
Now is the time to take bold, transforming steps to craft a comprehensive national energy policy, so oil-rich Middle East countries cannot hold America over a barrel by manipulating prices at the pump. Now is the time to invest in American ingenuity, to build an American future that is more prosperous, more healthy, and more secure. Now is the time to forge a legacy that will enable our grandchildren one distant day to say that we were both good stewards of our nation and good stewards of their future.