Forget Texts from Hillary. The American public might actually start receiving texts from Barack.
The Federal Communications Commission is planning to adopt a new proposal to update the nation’s Emergency Alert System, which would include the ability for the president to text message the entire country.
Currently, if the president needs to alert the country of an emergency situation, the president’s message would have to be broadcasted and distributed at the local level. A new proposal by the FCC, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, would give the president the ability to communicate with the entire country all at once through phones or other EAS systems.
The expected cost of the proposal, which includes other updates to the current EAS system, is between $7 and $13.6 million. However, the FCC says that the benefits—“saving human lives, reducing injuries, mitigating property damage, and minimizing the disruption of our national economy”—justify the cost.
The public has 30 days to comment on the proposal. If it is ultimately accepted, the new measures can go into effect as early as next year.
No word yet on whether Obama will use emojis in his official texts.
