The US needs a Manhattan project to lead America and the world to alternative sources of energy. This will weaken Putin, Iran, our friends the Saudis and some other not so very nice guys who the American SUV driver is currently paying to keeping in power.
National security means energy security and energy security means first more drilling and using those reserves to buy time to make the switch to fuels Americans can harness (wind, solar), grow (ethanol, biomass) and produce (nuclear, clean coal).
The amazing thing is that the oil-financed GOP is going to let the DIMS win on this issue.