Los democratas apuestas por el BioDiesel:
WASHINGTON - Fifty-one congressional Democrats called on President Bush on Thursday to hold a bipartisan energy summit to find ways to reduce the country‘s dependence on oil.
"Developing a serious long-term strategy to curb our nation‘s dangerous dependence on oil is long overdue," the Democrats said in a letter to Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney .
Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman , addressing auto industry engineers in Detroit, said Thursday the administration is seeking a 22 percent increase in spending for research into clean energy programs and has called for expanded use of ethanol and bio-diesel in motor vehicles.
He said oil imports cost $250 billion last year.
Such a summit "would be designed to produce solutions to move America forward more quickly on a path toward greater energy independence and security," said the Democrats.
Bush has said the country has "an addiction" for oil that has to be overcome, and has called for development of alternative fuels. But Democrats maintain the administration has produced little that would significantly reduce oil use.
Sen. John Kerry , D-Mass., who , , ), D-Wash., spearheaded the idea for a summit, said industry leaders including the chairman of Ford Motor Co., have been among those calling for such a gathering.