Prepared Statement of The Honorable Fred Upton

Shimkus-Wynn Bill, Expanding Emergency Alert System

Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
July 20, 2006

Good morning. Today we are holding a legislative hearing on H.R. 5785, the "Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act," also known as the WARN Act. I thank Mr. Shimkus and Mr. Wynn for introducing this legislation and for facilitating a discussion of such critical importance on our nation's emergency alert system.

As we experience technological breakthroughs on a near daily basis, there is no question that our emergency alert system should also employ the growing technologies of the 21st century. But as we saw on 9/11 and during Hurricane Katrina, there do exist shortcomings in our current alert system.

The first national alert system was first employed in 1951 by President Truman, establishing a network that would later become the "Emergency Broadcast System" to provide the President with a direct means to directly communicate with the public over the radio in times of national emergency.

While much has changed since the days of Harry Truman, the alert system has only expanded to analog radio and television stations, as well as wired and wireless cable television systems.

However, in October 2005, the FCC expanded the obligations to direct broadcast satellite, digital television, digital cable, satellite digital audio radio, and digital audio broadcasting services. The 2005 rules go into effect December 31, 2006, except for the direct broadcast satellite rules, which take effect on May 31, 2007. This is a very important step for our national alert system, but with burgeoning technologies, it seems that more can be done to ensure a greater blanket of coverage for the alert systems.

I applaud the WARN Act for looking at the wireless industry to help bolster our alert system. With nearly 200 million American carrying cell phones and other wireless devices, it seems only natural to also look to the wireless industry to help communicate in times of emergencies.

This is a priority for President Bush as well, as he issued an executive order just three and a half weeks ago, declaring U.S. policy is "to have an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people."

What we must strive for is an emergency system that leaves no one behind. I look forward to hearing from our distinguished panel of witnesses to hear how they believe that we can better improve our emergency alert system from coast to coast, ensuring that folks in major urban areas as well as small rural communities are all notified in times of emergency.

Again, I thank Mr. Wynn and Mr. Shimkus for introducing the WARN Act and bringing this important issue to the forefront.

This is literally a matter of life and death.

Thank you.

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