Doc Hastings: “Let me say at the outset to the chairman and ranking member, that I do not intend to ask for a recorded vote on this…”

“Let me say at the outset to the chairman and ranking member, that I do not intend to ask for a recorded vote on this measure. I thought earlier today that I would withdraw the amendment, but in light of the fact that we are here in the middle of the night, I decided I may as well make my point. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase funding for cybersecurity of the electric power grid by $5 million, offset by reductions in fossil energy research and development. Like almost everyone in this body, I am deeply concerned about the cybersecurity of our Nation's electric power grid. I don't know how many of you know that yesterday there was a major outage--that hadn't reached the news, for some reason--of the Comcast telephone network. I don't think there was anything untoward with reference to it, at least it hadn't been reported. The mere fact is that we are more reliant than ever on this Nation's power grid to provide electricity to the massive amount of technologies that contribute to our country every single second: cellular communications equipment; heating and cooling to our workplaces-- especially cooling in this particular workplace that seems to be overused, in my opinion--and homes; lights to guide us at night on highways; and on and on. While we have never been more dependent on electricity, our electric energy grid has never been as vulnerable as it is today.…”