The action we take and the decisions we make in this decade will have consequences far into this century. If America shows weakness and uncertainty, the world will drift toward tragedy. That will not happen on my watch.

In December 1991 Bush was one of seven people named by his father to run his father's 1992 Presidential re-election campaign as "campaign advisor". Energy policies
In his 2006 State of the Union Address Bush declared "America is addicted to oil" and announced his Advanced Energy Initiative to increase energy development research.

Internationally he was a highly controversial figure with public protests occurring even during visits to close allies such as the United Kingdom. In December 2007 the United States entered its longest post–World War II recession often referred to as the "Great Recession" prompting the Bush Administration to enact multiple economic programs intended to preserve the country's financial system.