Colorado Corn Cultivating Opportunities

A bipartisan group of United States senators have called on food manufacturers and others involved in a smear campaign against U.S. corn farmers and ethanol to call off their high-paid attack dogs and work toward solutions that will have a much more significant impact on lowering food prices.

“The Grocery Manufacturers Association has an obvious self-interest in launching this campaign,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) at a Capitol Hill press conference Thursday afternoon. “They need to blame someone for high grocery bills, but they've aimed their fire at a false target. Buying into their line won't do anything to help families trying to make ends meet. It will do serious and lasting damage to America's interests for energy independence, national security and a cleaner environment.”

“I'm not sure when it happened or why it happened but it's incredible to me that someone decided to add ethanol to the members of the axis of evil,” said Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.). “They ignore the fact that the cost of oil has far more triggered the cost of products and living in the U.S. than the grinding of corn into ethanol.”

Joining Grassley and Nelson in the news conference were Sens. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ken Salazar (D-Colo.).