For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 2, 2001
Remarks by the President and Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham in Swearing-In Ceremony
The Oval Office
2:02 P.M. EST
THE
PRESIDENT: It's my honor to welcome the Secretary and his
family. I forgot that he and I were members of the father's
of twins club. (Laughter.) Jane, it's good to see
you. I want to welcome you all here. We look forward to
having a picture taking session next door after our brief remarks.
Two months
ago, in Austin, I announced my intention to nominate Senator Spence
Abraham as the Energy Secretary. He's obviously since then
been confirmed by the Senate. His performance in office has
already confirmed that I chose the right man for the job.
Secretary
Abraham knows energy policy. He understands the many
challenges and opportunities before us. Today, we are seeing
the consequences of going too long without an energy
policy. Many Americans are struggling with the high cost of
energy. People who live in the West face a major energy
shortage, which has caused rising prices and growing uncertainty.
I have
asked federal agencies to work with California officials to bring more
energy to the people of that state, as quickly as possible. Also I've
asked Secretary Abraham to work with Vice President Cheney and
Secretary of Commerce Evans, and other senior officials to develop a
comprehensive energy policy for the United States.
Our
objective should not only be to manage the current situation, but to
avoid any crisis in the first instance. This requires a
four-part strategy; first to make energy security a priority of our
foreign policy, by restoring American credibility with overseas
suppliers and building strong relationships with energy-producing
nations in our hemisphere. Second, to encourage
environmentally-friendly exploration and production of domestic energy
sources, like oil, natural gas and coal. Third, to promote
the production of electricity, to keep pace with America's growing
demands. Fourth, to support the development of cost-effective
alternative energy sources.
The goals
of this strategy are clear, to ensure a steady supply of affordable
energy for America's homes and businesses and industries, and to work
toward the day when America achieves energy independence.
It was in
the state of Michigan that I first pledged a comprehensive energy
policy for our country. This afternoon, I welcome to the
Cabinet a proud son of Michigan, a grandson of immigrants, and a good
man.
Mr.
Secretary.
SECRETARY
ABRAHAM: Mr. President, I just want to thank you, and I want
to thank you, Mr. Vice President. I consider it a great
honor to be able to serve in your Cabinet. And I look
forward to working with both of you, as well as to my fellow Cabinet
members, to insure that your agenda for America is successfully
enacted.
I also want
to thank my family, many of whom are in this room, and many have come
to Washington for this ceremony this weekend, without whose support and
whose love I would not be here today. I just want you all to
know how much I appreciate all you have done for me, and to express my
love to all of you.
This is an
exciting time for the Department of Energy. And I just want
to say that I have been very impressed with the outstanding people, the
employees at DOE.
However,
whether it's developing a long-term national energy policy or insuring
the success of our defense programs, we have many challenges before
us. I am confident, though, that the legacy of the Bush
administration will be one where we have successfully met those
challenges and put in place a long-term program that protects America's
economic and national security by insuring our energy security, as the
President has outlined today.
Mr.
President, thank you very much.
Q Mr.
President, do you have time for questions, sir?
THE
PRESIDENT: No. (Laughter.)
Q You're
going to Camp David a lot. Can you tell us why you like
going there, what you do when you're up there?
THE
PRESIDENT: I guess I do. He's asking -- I'm going
to Camp David, and I like to spend time with my family, and my brother,
Marvin, and my sister, Dorothy will join us up there. It's a
good place to relax, and it's also a good place to catch up on my
work. I'm a little bit behind on my mail right
now. But I intend, every chance I get to go -- if I'm not
going to Crawford, and I don't have to give a speech here on the
weekend, I'm going to go to Camp David.
Q Mr.
President, some members of your own party are chafing at the idea of
holding federal spending increases for --
THE
PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q What
argument can you make --
THE
PRESIDENT: Well, I know there's a lot of folks that are used
to big spending. After all, the spending increases were very
dramatic at the end of the last session. And my answer is,
let's -- why don't we have some fiscal sanity in
Washington. My budget increases the rate of growth in
discretionary spending by 4 percent. And surely, Congress
will be willing to work with the administration to bring -- to control
the appetite by 4 percent.
And I
believe when people are willing to take a hard look at setting
priorities in different spending programs, we'll be able to meet that
target, and thereby be able to send some of the surplus back to the
people, which is an important part about making sure our economy gets a
second wind. And it's an important part -- and this country
has got to remember, the people up here in this -- have got to remember
that this country, in this country, a lot of folks are paying high
energy bills, and a lot of folks have got a lot of debt, personal
debt. And if we're wise about how we spend money in
Washington, we will enable people to have more money in their own
pocket. And that would be wise economic policy.
Thank you.
Q Mr.
Vice President, are you moving into your new house today?
THE VICE
PRESIDENT: Yes, today.
END
2:09 P.M. EST
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