▁increasing ▁compet it iveness ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁economy , ▁with ▁greater ▁development ▁of ▁advanced ▁techn ologies , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁greater ▁education ▁and ▁support ▁for ▁American ▁students . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁State ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁speech , ▁President ▁Bush ▁proposed ▁a ▁ 2 0 : 1 0 ▁policy , ▁where , ▁as ▁a ▁nation , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁would ▁be ▁working ▁to ▁reduce ▁ 2 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁energy ▁usage ▁in ▁next ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁by ▁converting ▁to ▁eth an ol . ▁ ▁National ▁pres erves ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Bush ▁created ▁the ▁sevent y - fif th , ▁and ▁largest , ▁National ▁Monument ▁in ▁U . S . ▁history ▁and ▁the ▁largest ▁Marine ▁Prote cted ▁Area ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁with ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁North western ▁Hawai ian ▁Islands ▁National ▁Monument . ▁ ▁Econom y ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Econom ic ▁Research , ▁the ▁economy ▁suffered ▁from ▁a ▁re cess ion ▁that ▁last ed ▁from ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁During ▁the ▁Bush ▁Administration , ▁Real ▁G DP ▁has ▁grown ▁at ▁an ▁average ▁annual ▁rate ▁of ▁ 2 . 5 %. ▁ ▁In fl ation ▁under ▁Bush ▁has ▁remained ▁near ▁historic ▁l ows ▁at ▁about ▁ 2 - 3 % ▁per ▁year . ▁The ▁re cess ion ▁and ▁a ▁drop ▁in ▁some ▁prices ▁led ▁to ▁concern ▁about ▁def lation ▁from ▁mid