Energy Emergency Leadership Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3277) to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act with respect to functions assigned to Assistant Secretaries, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3277

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Energy Emergency Leadership Act''. SEC. 2. FUNCTIONS ASSIGNED TO ASSISTANT SECRETARIES.

(a) In General.--Subsection (a) of section 203 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7133(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(12) Energy emergency and energy security functions, including--

``(A) responsibilities with respect to infrastructure, cybersecurity, emerging threats, supply, and emergency planning, coordination, response, and restoration; and

``(B) upon request of a State, local, or tribal government or energy sector entity, and in consultation with other Federal agencies as appropriate, provision of technical assistance, support, and response capabilities with respect to energy security threats, risks, and incidents.''.

(b) Coordination.--The Secretary of Energy shall ensure that the functions of the Secretary described in section 203(a)(12) of the Department of Energy Organization Act (as added by this Act) are performed in coordination with relevant Federal agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3277, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act. Sponsored by Representatives Walberg and Blunt Rochester, H.R. 3277 has strong bipartisan support, passing out of the Energy and Commerce Committee 48-0 last May.

The bill is necessary to strengthen the Department of Energy's important energy emergency mission. It does so by requiring that the well-established energy emergency and cybersecurity functions at the DOE are organized under the leadership of an Assistant Secretary confirmed by the Senate.

This bill amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to establish in law this Assistant Secretary level of leadership at the Department of Energy's emergency response and cybersecurity functions.

This bill will ensure the Department has focused and accountable leadership to protect the public more fully from fuel and electricity supply disruptions against natural or manmade hazards, including emerging threats from our foreign adversaries to the Nation's electric grid.

Under this legislation, the DOE will carry out its responsibilities in coordination with other agencies with improved coordination across the Department, better interagency collaborations, and greater accountability to the United States Congress.

Establishing accountable leadership of this DOE mission is an important step in the face of increased threats, vulnerabilities, and interdependencies of energy infrastructure and end-use systems.

Protecting energy security requires defense in depth. This means a strong energy sector, strong State capabilities, and ensuring sector agencies like the Department of Energy have the tools that they need to respond to energy emergencies.

A vote for H.R. 3277 is a vote for ensuring accountable DOE leadership over energy emergencies for the benefit of public safety and welfare and for stronger cybersecurity protections within the energy systems.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. DUNCAN.

Mr. Speaker, it is an important time to address cybersecurity in this Nation. The energy infrastructure that we have is vulnerable. The gentleman from Michigan mentioned the Colonial Pipeline incident, which affected my State of South Carolina.

Republicans generally aren't about growing government, creating new positions, and whatever, but it is important to raise this to the level of Assistant Secretary to put the emphasis where the Nation needs it to be at the Department of Energy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) and the gentlewoman from Delaware (Ms. Blunt Rochester) for authoring this bill. I thank the minority on the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the majority members, for supporting this through the full committee, and I would love for all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

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