Henry Waxman

The FERC should have the authority to address cyber threats to the electric grid. That requires legislation from Congress.

A voluntary approach to cybersecurity may make sense for some sectors but experience has shown that it cannot be relied upon to protect the electric grid.

The problem is that recommended voluntary cybersecurity measures have not been adopted by most utilities.

This is an imperative issue.

The findings are sobering. Many utilities reported that the electric grid is the target of daily cyber attacks.

Madam Chair, we need to work together in a bipartisan way to protect the electric grid.

The Executive order we are examining today is a step in the right direction but we also need new legislation.

The Nation's critical infrastructure and defense installations simply cannot function without electricity.

Cybersecurity is a vital concern for sectors that span the committee's jurisdiction, from the electric grid and natural gas pipelines to telecommunications networks and health care.

We have got to rely on clear regulatory authority to get this job done.

In 2010, Fred Upton, now a chair, and Ed Markey, soon to be Senator from Massachusetts, had a bipartisan grid security bill.

Protecting the grid from cyber attacks and other threats is essential to our economy.

I look forward to our continued bipartisan work in this area.

I look forward to hearing from GAO about its analysis of what other countries are doing in this area.

I applaud these efforts.

While the Executive Order on cyber security protections for critical infrastructure was an important step forward, this morning's hearing demonstrated that there is much more work to be done to protect the networks that undergird the…

I have serious concerns about certain aspects of these bills. I think they are a work in progress.

It is natural that a state would want to be able to tell EPA what to focus on and what to spend money on.

I don't believe any of my colleagues want to see that happen.

I hope that members of the Subcommittee are given a full opportunity to understand these bills before they are brought to markup.

Under current law, EPA seeks concurrence from states before slating a site for cleanup on the National Priorities List.

Even though Superfund is a federal program, the law provides for significant state involvement.

The states don't always do that, though, because they want federal resources and expertise brought to bear to get sites cleaned up.

I thank you for reconvening the hearing today, and I am pleased that we have the opportunity to hear from knowledgeable experts about the Superfund program.

I think it is fair to say that some compliance will go undetected.