Page 66 - 4921

After the worst recession since the Great Depression, our economy is growing again, and we’ve gained
almost 2 million private sector jobs over the last 13 months. But I also know that a lot of folks aren’t feeling as
positive as some of those statistics might suggest. It’s still too hard to find a job. And even if you have a job,
chances are you’re having a tougher time paying the rising costs of everything from groceries to gas. In some
places, gas is now more than $4 a gallon, meaning that you could be paying upwards of $50 or $60 to fill up your
tank.
Of course, while rising gas prices mean real pain for our families at the pump, they also mean bigger
profits for oil companies. This week, the largest oil companies announced that they’d made more than $25
billion in the first few months of 2011 – up about 30 percent from last year.
Now, I don’t have a problem with any company or industry being rewarded for their success. The
incentive of healthy profits is what fuels entrepreneurialism and helps drives our economy forward. But I do
have a problem with the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies we’ve been handing out to oil and gas companies – to
the tune of $4 billion a year. When oil companies are making huge profits and you’re struggling at the pump,
and we’re scouring the federal budget for spending we can afford to do without, these tax giveaways aren’t right.
They aren’t smart. And we need to end them.
That’s why, earlier this week, I renewed my call to Congress to stop subsidizing the oil and gas
industries. Understand, I’m not opposed to producing oil. I believe that if we’re serious about meeting our
energy challenge, we need to operate on all cylinders, and that means pursuing a broad range of energy policies,
including safe and responsible oil production here at home. In fact, last year, America’s oil production reached
its highest level since 2003.
But I also believe that instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, we should invest in tomorrow’s – and
that’s what we’ve been doing. Already, we’ve seen how the investments we’re making in clean energy can lead
to new jobs and new businesses. I’ve seen some of them myself – small businesses that are making the most of
solar and wind power, and energy-efficient technologies; big companies that are making fuel-efficient cars and
trucks part of their vehicle fleets. And to promote these kinds of vehicles, we implemented historic new fuel-
economy standards, which could save you as much as $3,000 at the pump.
Now, I know that in this tough fiscal environment, it’s tempting for some in Washington to want to cut
our investments in clean energy. And I absolutely agree that the only way we’ll be able to afford the things we
need is if we cut the things we don’t, and live within our means. But I refuse to cut things like clean energy that
will help America win the future by growing our economy and creating good-paying jobs; that will help make
America more secure; and that will help clean up our planet in the process. An investment in clean energy today
is an investment in a better tomorrow. And I think that’s an investment worth making. Thanks for listening, and
have a great weekend.

Ukrainian
Після найгіршої рецесії з часів Великої Депресії, наша економіка знову зростає, і ми отримали
майже 2 млн. робочих місць у приватному секторі за останні 13 місяців. Але я також знаю, що багато
людей не відчувають тих позитивних змін, які показують статистичні дані. Все ще занадто важко знайти
роботу. І навіть якщо у вас є робота, швидше за все, вас спіткав важкий час платити за зростання цін на
все, починаючи від продуктів закінчуючи газом. У деяких місцях газ в даний час коштує більш ніж 4 $ за
галон, це означає, що ви платити б більше 50 $ або 60 $, щоб поповнити свій бак.
Звичайно, в той час як зростання цін на газ означає реальну біль для наших сімей, це також
означає більший прибуток для нафтових компаній. На цьому тижні, найбільші нафтові компанії
оголосили, що вони зробили більше, ніж 25 млрд $ у перші кілька місяців 2011 року - близько 30
відсотків прибутку у минулому році.
Тепер у мене немає проблем, оскільки будь-яка компанія чи галузь отримає винагороду за свій
65