It is primarily the Liberals that are making it hard because they demonize "big oil". As a result we haven't been drilling for oil or working on our refining capacity. On the contrary, Congress has kept us from drilling and has discouraged big business from seeking out new oil. Congress also has been pushing environmental laws that discourage drilling and refineries in the US. So it's our own government's policies that is making us more dependent on foreign oil. It's mainly the Liberals, but the pathetic Republicans have jumped on the bandwagon to. Since Congress has prevented us from starting any significant new oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, the Cubans and Chinese are taking advantage of our hesitation and weakness. Who do you think would be more safety and environmentally friendly for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico the US or the Cuban and Chinese? It's like the refineries that are shutting down in the United States, so the net result is the fuel is refined in other places often where the environmental and labor laws are not as strict. The net result is lost US jobs, increased pollution and decreased efficiency. The Liberals think if they interfere with business that they can make them transition to alternative fuels better. I have a fair amount of faith in big business if you let the natural laws of supply and demand go without interfering, I think the transition to alternative fuels would be smoother. People and industries will start switching to alternative fuels as oil becomes more expensive, I don't think there's any need to make it a mandate. The Democrats are trying to demonize big business and oil, yet the Democrats want to take credit for the alternative fuel idea. It was big businessmen like Henry Ford and George Washington Carver that researched alternative fuels over 60 years ago.