Bush urges federal government to lead by example by reducing oil use

"This morning, President Bush signed an executive order to support alternative fuel use and help the federal government reduce oil use," said a statement released by the White House.

The order calls for steps such as increasing the use of alternative fuels in government fleet vehicles and using hybrid vehicles, it added.

In his first State of the Union address to a Democratic- controlled Congress on Tuesday, Bush promised he will slash U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent in 10 years.

He continued the campaigned Wednesday to push his call on U.S. energy independence. When touring a research facility in Wilmington, Delaware, Bush warned that reliance by the United States on oil poses a national security threat

"You don't want your president sitting in the Oval Office worried about the activities of a hostile regime that can have all kinds of impacts on our security, starting with economic security," he said.

"Dependence on oil, as well, means that if a terrorist were able to destroy infrastructure somewhere else in the world, it's going to affect what you pay for at the gasoline pump," he added.