Critical Infrastructure Protection Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act. Over the past 10 years, the United States has seen an unprecedented expansion of electronic communication and commerce that boosts our economy and facilitates entrepreneurship. However, this technology is also susceptible to new types of potential threats, such as Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP), that could dramatically disrupt electronic activity or severely damage our electrical grids.

Due to the potential of an EMP threat, I joined Congressman Trent Franks in introducing H.R. 3410--the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act. This legislation directs the Department of Homeland Security to enhance our nation's threat assessments of EMPs and to plan how to best protect and recover after an EMP occurs. The Critical Infrastructure Protection Act is the first step towards getting the U.S. closer to protecting ourselves from a potentially catastrophic nationwide blackout. It is my hope that this legislation will promote a national dialogue about the threat of EMPs and ensure that we are adequately prepared to protect our nation's critical infrastructure.

I want to thank Chairman McCaul for his important work on this legislation, as well as my dear friend, Congressman Trent Franks for his leadership. Additionally, I want to thank Frank Gaffney, the Founder and President of the Center for Security Policy, for his policy expertise and much needed efforts to educate and spread awareness regarding the potential threats posed by an Electromagnetic Pulse. I strongly support the passage of this important legislation.

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