Energy Emergency Leadership Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3119, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act.

This bill, sponsored by Representatives Rush and Walberg, has strong bipartisan support, and passed on suspension last Congress.

The bill is necessary to strengthen the Department of Energy's important energy emergency mission.

It does so by requiring that the well-established energy emergency and cybersecurity functions at DOE are organized under the leadership of an assistant secretary confirmed by the Senate.

Three-and-one-half years ago, Secretary of Energy Perry recognized the importance of elevating this position within the Department.

He established an assistant secretary-led office, the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, which proved its worth in various situations over the past 2 years, including assistance relating to hurricanes and the recent Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack.

This bill amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to establish in law this assistant secretary level of leadership of DOE's emergency response and cybersecurity functions.

This bill will ensure the Department has the focused and accountable leadership to protect the public more fully from fuel and electricity supply disruptions against all hazards, natural or man-made, including emerging threats from our foreign adversaries to the Nation's electric grid.

The bill has been drafted to ensure the Department carries out its responsibility in coordination with other agencies by improving coordination across the Department; ensuring more effective interagency collaborations; and increasing accountability to Congress.

Establishing accountable leadership of this DOE mission is an important step in the face of increased threats, vulnerabilities, and interdependencies of energy infrastructure and end-use systems.

Protecting energy security requires defense in depth.

This means a strong energy sector, strong state capabilities, and ensuring sector agencies, like the Department of Energy, have the tools and accountable leadership they need to respond to energy emergencies.

A vote for H.R. 3119 is a vote for ensuring accountable DOE leadership over energy emergencies for the benefit of public safety and welfare and for stronger cybersecurity protections and energy systems.

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Mr. LATTA.

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Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank Representative Walberg and Representative Bobby Rush for their work on this very important legislation because, again, it is going to ensure that the Department of Energy has the focus and the accountable leadership to more fully protect the public from any electricity fuel supply disruptions against all hazards-- natural or manmade--including emerging threats from our foreign adversaries to our Nation's electric grid.

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