"But we must take other steps, such as increasing conservation, developing an ethanol industry, and increasing CAFE standards if we are to make our country safer by cutting our reliance on foreign oil"

This quote by Jim Costa stresses the requirement for the United States to act in order to lower its dependence on foreign oil. He suggests that increasing conservation, developing an ethanol industry, and increasing CAFE standards are all steps that need to be taken in order to make the nation more secure. By increasing conservation, the US can decrease its general energy usage and reduce its reliance on foreign oil. Establishing an ethanol market would supply an alternative fuel source to oil, and increasing CAFE standards would need automakers to produce more fuel-efficient cars. All of these steps would assist to decrease the United States's reliance on foreign oil and make the nation more secure.