OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

FEMA Reauthorization Act of 2012

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 19, 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security

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Mr. WALDEN. I thank the chairman, and I thank my good friend from California for his terrific work on this bipartisan piece of legislation which is very important to the citizens of this country.

I also want to thank you for this colloquy.

I plan to support your bill, obviously. I think it's a good bill. I just want to clarify because I'm concerned that the language in section 102 of the bill could be construed as authorizing the imposition of requirements on the communications sector. Can you assure me that this is not the effect of this language?

Mr. DENHAM. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WALDEN. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. DENHAM. This bill in no way authorizes FEMA or anyone else to impose any obligations on any participant in the communications industry. Only the FCC can require a participant in the communications industry to take any action with respect to emergency-related alerts. To make this clear, we agree to add language at a later stage indicating that nothing in this bill requires or allows FEMA or any other government entity to require any action on the part of the FCC, the Department of Commerce, the Office of Energy Communications, or any nongovernment entity; nor does it have any impact on any existing obligations of these entities.

Mr. WALDEN. I appreciate the gentleman's comments, and I welcome and thank you for them.

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