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T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire oil tycoon turned energy activist, is spearheading a new ad campaign to shore up legislative support for natural gas.

The campaign, which premiers Thursday on cable channels nation-wide, invokes national security concerns to make the case for moving away foreign oil.

Pickens, who has thus far spent $60 million promoting energy independence, cites natural gas as a key factor in aiding the U.S. unemployment situation. The national embrace of natural gas, Pickens says, will prompt a new natural gas vehicle industry in the U.S.

According to Pickens, the U.S. currently spends a billion each day on imported oil.

“At least half can be, should be, retained in the U.S. economy,” Pickens said during a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

The ad campaign will focus on the Nat Gas Act, a piece of legislation that will provide businesses with incentives for using natural gas powered vehicle. The bill has found bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House.

The campaign will run for 10 days nationally and 3 weeks in Washington, D.C.