President George W. Bush on Thursday addressed a meeting of union presidents at the Teamsters Washington, D.C., headquarters to show his support for a comprehensive energy package, including petroleum exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Joining the President were Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham.
"The Teamsters are proud to have President Bush on our side as we fight for a sound energy policy," said James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "ANWR exploration will benefit America's economic, security and energy needs."
The gathering is one of several moves recently made by the union under Hoffa’s direction, which has signaled more willingness to work with a Republican administration. That's a departure for the Teamsters, which traditionally supports Democratic candidates, who are mainly opposed to the Bush energy plan. Many other labor groups remain opposed to the legislation.
The meeting came as the Senate considers a comprehensive energy package. The House of Representatives has already passed the Securing America's Future Energy Act, which included provisions for ANWR exploration. Supporters say the legislation will not only reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, it will also create thousands upon thousands of U.S. jobs, both claims that are endorsed by the Teamsters. However, critics say the measure is payback by the Bush administration to energy interests. They also claim there is not enough oil in the reserve to greatly lessen foreign oil dependence.
"This energy bill is a jobs bill," said President Bush. "When we explore for U.S. power in ANWR, we're not only becoming less dependent on foreign sources of crude oil, we're creating jobs for American workers."