Gingrich is an idiot. An EMP "attack" kills electronics not people.
A much bigger EMP "threat" comes from our sun which during the highpoint of its 11 year sunspot cycle is more likely to have a coronal mass ejection which includes other fields, a huge amount of electromagnetic radiation. It has enough energy to disrupt power lines and cause blackouts.
http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/CMEs.shtml