News & Events

1:35 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm glad you're here and I'm glad I'm here. The technology that we have just seen -- and I hope you take a look at -- is going to be seen on the roads of America. And it's important for our country to understand that by being bold and innovative, we can change the way we do business here in America; we can change our dependence upon foreign sources of energy; we can help with the quality of the air; we can make a fundamental difference for the future of our children.

President George W. Bush tries out a cell phone powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology during a demonstration of energy technologies at The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003. Accompanied by EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman and Department of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, the President reviewed fuel cell technology in applications ranging from cars to laptop computers. White House photo by Paul Morse By what we do today can make a tremendous difference for the future of this country. How we invest taxpayers' monies today can help change the world. And that's what we're here to discuss.

I want to thank my Secretary of Energy, Spence Abraham, for doing a fine job, for being willing to help us think beyond the normal by leading an important department, a department that's going to help America maintain a technological advantage when it comes to energy and devices that require energy.

I also want to thank Christie Todd Whitman for being a really, really good Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. And I want to thank all of the employees from both the Energy Department and the EPA who are here today. Thank you for your service to the country. I appreciate so very much members of the United States Senate who are here: Pete Domenici, from New Mexico; and Byron Dorgan, from North Dakota. Thank you, all, for your interest in this project. I look forward to working with both distinguished members of the Senate to get this initiative through.