Rep. Mark Inexperienced (R-Tenn.), chair of the Home Homeland Safety Committee, stated a invoice empowering native authorities to take down drones is a “number one” precedence within the subsequent Congress.
In an interview on Friday that he shared Monday, Inexperienced stated federal businesses weren’t being clear on the problem of drones, criticism that follows a high-profile collection of drone sightings over New Jersey earlier than the vacations.
“I will tell you that from our standpoint in Congress, passing my drone bill to grant authority to local law enforcement and states to take down drones … it’s gonna be one of my number one priorities for next Congress,” Inexperienced informed Dan Mandis on Nashville radio station WWTN, which he clipped for a publish on the social platform X.
“We know that Chinese nationals have operated drones inside of our country. We still need transparency on this issue and we’re not getting it. My Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act that grants authority to local and state law enforcement to take down drones needs to be passed,” Inexperienced captioned the publish.
Mass experiences of drone sightings, particularly within the Northeast, have not too long ago caught the nation’s consideration. In mid-December, the Division of Homeland Safety, FBI, Division of Protection and Federal Aviation Administration launched a joint assertion during which they stated current drone sightings included a mixture of “lawful” drones, different plane and stars.
The assertion additionally stated that the FBI had acquired over 5,000 reported drone sightings in weeks prior, although solely a small fraction merited follow-up.
Final month, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) blocked an try by his Democratic colleagues to move laws to provide assets and authority to state and native authorities to trace mysterious drones.
The Kentucky Republican argued that the invoice would have widened the federal government’s powers of surveillance, whereas he downplayed worries in regards to the drones’ risk to the general public.
“This body must not rush to grant sweeping surveillance powers without proper consideration and debate by the committees of jurisdiction,” Paul stated.
When reached for remark about Inexperienced’s plans, the DOD referred The Hill again to the Tennessee Republican’s workplace.
The Hill has reached out to the DHS, DOJ and Inexperienced’s workplace for remark.
