Just in time for Congressional lawmakers to return to work, Growth Energy launched a DC advertising blitz, “Say No to OPEC, Say Yes to America.” According to the organization, the campaign includes a display ad in Roll Call and online ads – including home-page takeovers – on TheHill.com and on the daily E&E Newsletter.

Chris Thorne, Public Affairs Director for Growth Energy, said they are launching the advertising campaign to increase awareness among Members of Congress and their staff of the dangers of increasing our nation’s reliance on Middle East oil – which he said is precisely what would happen if two House amendments, proposed by Reps. John Sullivan (R-OK) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) make their way into the final version of the Continuing Resolution currently being debated by Congress.

“As the Senate returns to the Capitol and starts work on the Continuing Resolution, they must understand the destructive consequences of legislation that would impose new regulatory hurdles and artificial barriers to the market for ethanol,” Thorne said. “Any legislation that imposes new regulations and erects new barriers to ethanol is legislation in favor of sending more American money to OPEC. Last time I looked, it was political unrest in the Middle East that was costing American consumers tens of millions more in gas prices every single day. Ethanol is the only viable alternative we have to foreign oil.”

Last week, Growth Energy, along with other ethanol industry organizations and agricultural organizations condemned the House passage of the anti-ethanol amendments that would prohibit the EPA from rolling out E15 and the USDA from offering retailers incentives to install blender pumps.

“These provisions won’t save any money for the federal government. If they are going to fill the deficit hole, Members of Congress should consider cutting the tens of billions of dollars that go in subsidies, tax credits and giveaway for the oil companies,” added Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy.