AAN Announces $2 Million Ad Campaign In 5 Districts Urging Congress To Stop Inflationary Spending and Anti-Energy Agenda

WASHINGTON — American Action Network announced an expansion of its summer issue advocacy campaign calling on Congress to reduce the soaring cost of living by expanding domestic energy production and to reject new plans for inflationary government spending. The new campaign is backed by over $2 million and includes TV and digital advertising in 5 House Districts. In the first four districts, the ads highlight record gas prices across the country and urge Members of Congress to pass the American Energy Independence from Russia Act (H.R. 6858), and in an additional district urges Congress to stop the Biden Administration’s efforts to revive a “skinny” Build Back Better spending plan.

“Families are being forced to choose between putting food on the table or filling their tank as Biden’s reckless agenda has made everything more expensive than ever,” said AAN President Dan Conston. “Congress can and should act now to stop the disastrous policies that are making life less affordable for working Americans.”

Today’s campaign builds on the group’s advocacy efforts this summer to bring down costs for American families. Including the $2 million announced today, AAN has spent nearly $11 million dollars urging Congress to pass the American Energy Independence from Russia Act and to stop additional inflationary spending in the “skinny” reconciliation bill. In 2021, AAN spent over $20 million on advocacy to halt earlier versions of “Build Back Better.” (Read more on those efforts here, here, here, here, here and here.)

Districts in the campaign today include:

Frank Mrvan (IN-01)
Education and Labor, Veterans’ Affairs Committee Member
$450,000 — TV & Digital

Chris Pappas and Annie Kuster (NH-01 and NH-02)
Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans’ Affairs Committee Member (Pappas)
Energy and Commerce, Agriculture Committee Member (Kuster)
$875,000 — TV & Digital

Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Appropriations Committee Member
$375,000 — TV & Digital

Cindy Axne (IA-03)
Financial Services, Agriculture Committee Member
$325,000 — TV & Digital

Background: With gas prices skyrocketing, Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) and Bruce Westerman (AR-04) introduced H.R. 6858, the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, which would 1) restart federal oil and gas leasing 2) authorize construction of the Keystone Pipeline 3) remove restrictions on natural gas exports and 4) require the Biden Administration to develop a plan to expand American energy production to offset Russian imports in 30 days. The plan earned the support of 142 co-sponsors and provides a more robust response to the gasoline price crisis currently ravaging families than the weaker measures currently being proposed by the Biden Administration.

Last week, Punchbowl News reported that Nancy Pelosi could hold a vote on a revived “Build Back Better” spending plan as early as August. At the same time, numerous economists point to excess spending as the leading cause of rising inflation.