Debate Speech H.R. 1073 Critical Infrastructure Protection Act

The following is a transcript, as prepared by Mr. Franks, for the November 15th, 2015, Debate on H.R. 1073 the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act. Video of the speech can be found here.

Mr. Speaker, I am sincerely grateful to all of those who have supported the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act. I am especially grateful to Chairman Pete Sessions for his co-sponsorship and his committed partnership on this bill, as well as to Chairman Mike McCaul and to the Leadership team of this House for allowing this legislation to come to the floor.

Electromagnetic Pulse or “EMP” can be catalyzed by non-nuclear Intentional Electromagnetic Interference, a major solar storm, or a high altitude nuclear blast. EMP is an invisible force of ionized particles with the potential to overwhelm and destroy our present electrical power grids, which are a vital component of nearly every other critical infrastructure we have.

Reducing America’s vulnerability to naturally occurring or weaponized electromagnetic pulse is a timely and critical matter of national security.

During the past several decades America has spent billions of dollars hardening many of our critical defense assets, including our nuclear triad and our missile defense components, against natural or weaponized electromagnetic pulse. However, the Department of Defense relies upon the largely unprotected civilian electric grid for 99% of its electricity needs in the continental United States without which it cannot effect its mission.

12 years ago, in August of 2003, an electromagnetic pulse knocked out a large portion of the electric grid across the eastern United States. Fifty million people were affected after 21 power plants shut down in just three minutes. Office workers streamed into parking lots and many commuters were stranded inside their trains. In a matter of moments, the things that make up our critical infrastructure - from the electric grid to water pumps to cell phone service to computer systems – were disrupted. Life suddenly changed that day in New York, Cleveland, Detroit, and all the way into Canada. In New York City alone, this short blackout was estimated to cost more than half a billion dollars.

There are at least 11 major government reports and studies that have all come to essentially the same conclusion regarding our vulnerabilities to electromagnetic pulse. Some of America’s most enlightened national security experts as well as many of our enemies or potential enemies consider a well-executed weaponized electromagnetic pulse attack against America to be a QUOTE “kill shot” to America. However, our civilian grid remains fundamentally unprotected against severe EMP. And for it to remain so, is an open invitation to our enemies to exploit this dangerous vulnerability.

Indeed, The National Intelligence University recently translated an Iranian military doctrine, titled Passive Defense. This doctrine stresses that electric grids are vital to the national existence of major powers in the world like America. And it includes a formula for calculating the value of electric power plants and for prioritizing the targeting of electric grid components and other critical infrastructures. Mr. Speaker, this Iranian military doctrine referenced the use of nuclear generated EMP as an effective weapon electric grids and components more than 20 times.

Now that the Islamic Republic of Iran begins to enjoy the bounty of their “nuclear negotiations”, it should be a wake-up call to us all that this, the World’s leading State sponsor of terrorism is contemplating the concept of nuclear generated electromagnetic pulse as an asymmetric weapon against America.

Thankfully Mr. Speaker, we are here this day to pass the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, which if signed into law, will represent the first time in history that Congress will be specifically addressing this dangerous threat of electromagnetic pulse. This legislation will enhance the DHS threat assessments for EMP through research and reporting requirements. It will help the United States prevent and prepare for such an event by including large-scale blackouts into our existing national planning scenarios; including educational awareness for first responders to protect critical infrastructure. Most importantly, it requires specific plans for protecting and recovering the electric grid and other critical infrastructure from a dangerous Electromagnetic Pulse event.

Mr. Speaker, there is a moment in the life of nearly every problem when it is big enough to be seen by reasonable people and still small enough to be addressed. Those of us in this chamber and across America live in a time when there still may be opportunity for the free world to address and mitigate the vulnerability that naturally occurring or weaponized EMP represents to the mechanisms of our civilization. This is our moment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I yield back.