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  • The President: Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a

  • historic piece of legislation that will open the door to a

  • clean energy economy and a better future for America.

  • For more than three decades, we've talked about our

  • dependence on foreign oil.

  • And for more than three decades, we have seen that dependence grow.

  • We've seen our reliance on fossil fuels jeopardize our

  • national security.

  • We've seen it pollute the air we breathe and endanger our planet.

  • And most of all, we've seen other countries realize a

  • critical truth: the nation that leads in the creation of a clean

  • energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st

  • century global economy.

  • Now is the time for the United States of America to realize this, too.

  • Now's the time for us to lead.

  • The energy bill that passed the House will finally create a set

  • of incentives that will spark a clean energy transformation in

  • our economy.

  • It will spur the development of low carbon sources of energy --

  • everything from wind, solar, and geothermal power to safer

  • nuclear energy and cleaner coal.

  • It will spur new energy savings, like the efficient windows and

  • other materials that reduce heating costs in the winter and

  • cooling costs in the summer.

  • And most importantly, it will make possible the creation of

  • millions of new jobs.

  • Make no mistake: this is a jobs bill.

  • We're already seeing why this is true in the clean energy

  • investments we're making through the Recovery Act.

  • In California, 3,000 people will be employed to build a new solar

  • plant that in turn will create 1,000 permanent jobs.

  • In Michigan, investment in wind turbines and wind technology is

  • expected to create over 2,600 jobs.

  • In Florida, three new solar projects are expected to employ

  • 1,400 people.

  • The list goes on and on, but the point is this: this legislation

  • will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy.

  • That will lead to the creation of new businesses and entire new industries.

  • And that will lead to American jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced.

  • I've often talked about the need to build a new foundation for

  • economic growth so that we don't return to the endless cycle of

  • bubble and bust that led us to this recession.

  • Clean energy and the jobs it creates will be absolutely

  • critical to this new foundation.

  • This legislation has also been carefully written to address the

  • concerns that many have expressed in the past.

  • Instead of increasing the deficit,

  • it's paid for by the polluters who currently emit dangerous

  • carbon emissions.

  • It provides assistance to businesses and families as they

  • make the gradual transition to clean energy technologies.

  • It gives rural communities and farmers the opportunity to

  • participate in climate solutions and generate new income.

  • And above all, it will protect consumers from the costs of this

  • transition, so that in a decade, the price to the average

  • American will be just about a postage stamp a day.

  • Because this legislation is so balanced and sensible,

  • it's already attracted a remarkable coalition of consumer

  • and environmental groups; labor and business leaders;

  • Democrats and Republicans.

  • And I want to thank every Member of Congress who put politics

  • aside to support this bill on Friday.

  • Now my call to every Senator, as well as to every American,

  • is this: We cannot be afraid of the future.

  • And we must not be prisoners of the past.

  • Don't believe the misinformation out there that suggests that

  • there's somehow a contradiction between investing in clean

  • energy and economic growth.

  • It's just not true.

  • We've been talking about energy for decades.

  • But there's no longer a disagreement over whether our

  • dependence on foreign oil is endangering our security.

  • It is.

  • There's no longer a debate about whether carbon pollution is

  • placing our planet in jeopardy.

  • It's happening.

  • And there's no longer a question about whether the jobs and

  • industries of the 21st century will be centered around clean,

  • renewable energy.

  • The question is, which country will create these jobs and these industries?

  • I want that answer to be the United States of America.

  • And I believe that the American people and the men and women

  • they sent to Congress share that view.

  • So I want to congratulate the House for passing this bill,

  • and I want to urge the Senate to take this opportunity to come

  • together and meet our obligations --

  • to our constituents, to our children, to God's creation,

  • and to future generations.

  • Thanks for listening.

The President: Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a

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