senior positions in the Department of Defense and as a scientific and strategic advisor to both Democrat and Republican Administrations.

As for the Strategic Posture Commission, its Chairman is Dr. William Perry, who served as Secretary of Defense under President Clinton, and is one of this nation's most respected scientists.

The Vice Chairman of the Strategic Posture Commission is Dr. James Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense and former Director of the CIA, who has served in senior positions in both Democrat and Republican Administrations, and is widely regarded as one of foremost strategic thinkers ever produced by our nation.

All of the EMP Commissioners and all of the Strategic Posture Commissioners have stellar qualifications, representing our nation's "best and brightest"--so their collective warning about the EMP threat deserves to be taken very seriously.

A fourth reason to heed the EMP Commission and the Strategic Posture Commission warnings about the EMP threat is that both Commissions were empowered by law to command the cooperation of the vast resources of the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and the National Laboratories in collecting and analyzing evidence.

A fifth reason to heed the EMP Commission in particular is that the EMP Commission actually conducted scientific experiments and systems analysis (including the use of EMP simulators to test the vulnerability of a broad array of modern electronics) as the basis for its judgments about the EMP threat, and as the basis for its recommendations to protect modern infrastructures against EMP.

As for the National Academy of Sciences study, it too was staffed with award-winning scientists; it too followed the most rigorous rules of evidence and peer review to ensure objectivity and factual accuracy; and it too agreed with the EMP Commission that a great geomagnetic storm or a nuclear EMP attack from terrorists could be catastrophic for the survival of the American People and the continued existence of the United States.

Congressional Commissions are so highly respected and influential (rightly so because of their objectivity and competence) that the report of a single Commission can profoundly effect U.S. national security policy. For example, the Rumsfeld Commission ("The Commission On The Emerging Long-Range Ballistic Missile Threat To The United States"), which Congressman Weldon played a major role in establishing, won widespread congressional support for Congressman Weldon's HR-1 and the creation of a U.S. National Missile Defense. For another example, the 9/11 Commission resulted in sweeping restructuring and reform of the Intelligence Community. Hopefully, this makes clearer why a consensus judgment by even a single Congressional Commission