Franks Introduces Critical Infrastructure Protection Act to prevent widespread power failures
Washington, DC,
October 30, 2013
"The Department of Homeland Security has the specific responsibility to secure the key resources and critical infrastructure in the United States, to include power production, generation and distribution systems. Yet, eleven years after this job description was enacted our nation's most critical infrastructure - and the systems that more than 300 Million Americans depend upon every day for basic activities - are still very vulnerable to large scale blackouts.
"The Department of Homeland Security has the specific responsibility to secure the key resources and critical infrastructure in the United States, to include power production, generation and distribution systems. Yet, eleven years after this job description was enacted our nation's most critical infrastructure - and the systems that more than 300 Million Americans depend upon every day for basic activities - are still very vulnerable to large scale blackouts. "Anyone who has tried to feed their family or keep their children warm after the power has gone out will understand why this act is so crucially important. The Critical Infrastructure Protection Act will enhance the DHS threat assessments for geomagnetic disturbances and electromagnetic pulse blackouts which will enable practical steps to protect the electric grid that serves the United States and our financial, agricultural, medical and emergency response capabilities. “Survivors of storms like Katrina, Sandy, and of widespread grid failures like the 2003 Northeast Blackout are some of the strongest supporters of this legislation. They understand our infrastructure and planning scenarios are dangerously out of date, and it is time to initiate the real fixes." |
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