Since 2005, Congress has recognized that an asteroid impact represents a serious threat to national security. Though Congress tasked NASA to survey hazardous asteroids larger than 140m by 2020, sixteen years later it remains incomplete. In 2008, in Public Law No 110-422, Congress tasked the Executive Office of the President to recommend a federal agency to be responsible for protecting the United States from a near-Earth object anticipated to collide with our planet and implement a deflection campaign. Five Presidential administrations have failed to respond to this tasking...