Sen. Evan Bayh has introduced legislation aimed at eliminating U.S. dependence on foreign oil, saying it's a matter of national security.

"What we're insisting on is that the national interest be met," he said in a telephone conference with Indiana reporters.

Called the DRIVE Act, the legislation seeks to reduce U.S. oil consumption by 2.5 million barrels a day in 10 years and 7 million barrels a day in 20 years. The nation imports 2.5 million barrels a day from the Middle East and Persian Gulf, Bayh said.

The bill has 22 Senate co-sponsors from across the political spectrum, including Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind.

Bayh sponsored the same bill in the last Congress, but it wasn't approved.

It creates tax incentives for the manufacture and purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids, flex-fuel, advanced diesel and electric plug-in vehicles. And it promotes the use of ethanol, biodiesel and other alternative energy sources.

The legislation says the government will lead by example, with federal and state vehicle fleets to cut oil use by 30 percent by 2016.

Bayh said the measure could expand markets for Indiana crops, create opportunities for vehicle manufacturing and fund research at Indiana and Purdue universities.

Bayh, who traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan last weekend with Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said reliance on foreign oil undercuts America's efforts to protect its national interests.

"The Iranians do not take us seriously; they know we are dependent on foreign petroleum," he said.

He said President Bush spoke in favor of the bill last year and even invited Bayh and other senators to the White House for talks, "but nothing happened."

He expects Bush to support the provisions in his Jan. 23 State of the Union address. "But it's not what people say that matters, it's what they do," he said.

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