Get the Facts: Our Dependence on Foreign Oil is Declining

America's dependence on foreign oil has gone down every single year since President Obama took office. In 2010, we imported less than 50 percent of the oil our nation consumed—the first time that's happened in 13 years—and the trend continued in 2011.

 

We're relying less on imported oil for a number of reasons, not least that production is up here in the United States. In fact, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years.

 

Despite all this, Americans are still paying more at the pump when we fill up. That's because drilling for more oil here at home won't affect the price of gas on its own.

 

So we have to do more than drill now to bring down prices for the future. Relying on the fossil fuels of the last century won't be enough, especially as demand keeps increasing. We need an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy.

 

This is the strategy President Obama has been pursuing since he took office, but there's still more to be done.