Congress’ Bipartisan Tune-Up

Congress’ Bipartisan Tune-Up

As a former leader of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I couldn’t be happier to see the House of Representatives scheduling a mark-up and vote for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. This bill, which has broad co-sponsorship in the House and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, will ensure the continued integrity of DHS’ public warning systems by requiring that AM radios remain in all vehicles sold in the United States. 

I can’t stress enough how important this bill is for protecting public safety.

The federal government built the National Public Warning System and Emergency Alert System – the primary tools that federal, state, and local leaders and emergency management professionals currently have to connect with the public in times of crisis. These warning systems are anchored by AM radio stations because of the resiliency and geographic reach of the AM signal. That is why both the current leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and every former director of that agency from the Clinton through Trump administrations – not to mention the Department of Transportation and Federal Communications Commission – recognize the importance of passing this bill. They know that, while cellphone and Internet connections often fail during emergencies and high usage traffic (as the nationwide cellphone outages in February demonstrated, sometimes even on good days), that AM is always available and reliable. As FEMA recently warned Congress, automakers continuing to remove AM receivers could leave millions of Americans “without critical, life-saving information” during times of emergency.

With just about everyone in Washington, D.C. agreeing on the need to protect AM, one can understand why profit-driven automakers – at least the handful that have refused to commit to keeping AM in their dashes – are panicking. 

The automakers and their allies contend that retaining AM radio in vehicles is unnecessary as drivers can receive alerts through satellite radio, cellphones, and Internet, but some of the most recent public safety crises in this country tell another story.

When disasters strike, AM radio is often the only communication method left standing.

For example, during the Maui wildfires last summer, virtually all cell towers were down, and residents had no power. The only sources of critical information readily available came via analog radio. Similarly, during Superstorm Sandy in 2013, over one million concerned Americans in the Tri-State Area tuned into the radio during any 15-minute period, with listenership spiking by over 200 percent in some of the areas that experienced the most devastation. Sheriff Shaun Golden, who led the emergency response from the storm’s epicenter, said that, with cellphones lines down and Internet connection out for days on end, many of these at-risk Americans did not have any other means of hearing the most up to date storm news or receiving schedule and status updates on emergency’s management professionals’ rescue efforts. By giving them not just quick updates, but wall-to-wall coverage, AM radio kept them safe and informed. 

So no, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act isn’t a mandate to protect a so-called outdated communications mechanism, as some in the auto industry contend – it is a means of safeguarding public safety until the streaming services and nascent technology cited by the carmakers possess the reliability and resiliency that emergency response professionals need to ensure the public’s safety before, during, and in the aftermath of disasters.  

Despite receiving tens of billions of dollars in tax credits and subsidies from the American taxpayer over the past few years, the automakers opposing this bill also argue that the legislation will increase the cost of their vehicles. This too couldn’t be further from the truth. The Congressional Budget Office found that the legislation will barely increase their operating expenses, which explains why the many automakers who have already responded to the public safety community’s concerns by committing to retaining AM radio in their vehicles have not raised their prices. At a minimum, the taxpayers’ generosity to the auto industry should come with an expectation that automakers will not undercut public safety.

Thankfully, these baseless attacks are not moving the needle on Capitol Hill as members of Congress continue working overtime to move this bill, especially as we’re on the precipice of what is expected to be a busy hurricane season. 

This legislative push is a textbook example of bipartisan governance and proof that both sides of the aisle haven’t lost sight of what’s important. It’s evidence that Washington is capable of functioning – and for that, we should all be grateful.

Elaine Duke is a former Acting Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security.