deserves our respect - indeed, typically represents the best, most accurate, and most prudential judgment that our government can produce.

Now not one, but two Congressional Commissions and a third highly respected voice, the National Academy of Sciences, are all warning that we face a serious threat from EMP – and we think that everyone had better listen.

Unfortunately, the EMP Commission was terminated in 2008. It is crucial that it be resurrected. Since the EMP Commission’s work is not complete, our country needs to have the EMP Commission reinstated as soon as possible. It is also very important for Congress to reappoint as many of the original EMP Commissioners as are willing and able to serve. They are key (and in many ways irreplaceable) national resources.

The following is the original Public Law that created the EMP Commission in 2001:

“Public Law 106-398, Title XIV SEC. 1402. DUTIES OF COMMISSION

(a) Review of EMP Threat. The Commission shall assess:

1. the nature and magnitude of potential high-altitude EMP threats to the United States from all potentially hostile states or non-state actors that have or could acquire nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles enabling them to perform a high-altitude EMP attack against the United States within the next 15 years;
2. the vulnerability of United States military and especially civilian systems to an EMP attack, giving special attention to vulnerability of the civilian infrastructure as a matter of emergency preparedness;
3. the capability of the United States to repair and recover from damage inflicted on United States military and civilian systems by an EMP attack; and
4. the feasibility and cost of hardening select military and civilian systems against EMP attack.

(b) Recommendation. The Commission shall recommend any steps it believes should be taken by the United States to better protect its military and civilian systems from EMP attack.”

There is subsequent legislative history that has not addressed here for simplicity. The bottom line is that the EMP Commission is not currently active and we need it reinstituted immediately – with as many of the original members as possible. There’s no time to waste. Please join EMPACT America in its efforts, and help us take action to protect the critical infrastructures of the United States.