The Northeast, particularly New Jersey, has been rattled by reviews of drone sightings in current weeks, and a number of lawmakers in Congress need extra data.
In a letter posted to social platform X by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Tuesday, addressed to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the New Jersey Democrat pushed for them “to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public.”
“Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread,” Booker added.
The drones in New Jersey have been first reportedly noticed final month, with the vast majority of sightings in Hunterdon and Morris counties, that are a part of the northern and central areas of the state. Nonetheless, based on a Tuesday report by native newspaper the Staten Island Advance, there have now been reported drone sightings in Staten Island, which is a borough of New York Metropolis.
“The Biden Administration’s inaction to intercept & identify the drones over New York & New Jersey is shocking, concerning & unacceptable,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’s (R-N.Y.), whose district contains Staten Island, mentioned Wednesday in a submit on X. “The safety & security of the American people must always be our top priority and that requires proactivity & swift responses!”
In an interview with The Hill’s sister community NewsNation, White Home nationwide safety communications adviser John Kirby mentioned Tuesday that there was nothing suggesting “that it’s a foreign adversary or a foreign actor” behind the drone sightings.
“The FBI’s looking at this. DOJ’s looking at this. I know the Department of Defense when it … when it affects or comes near a military base, they’re looking at this,” Kirby mentioned, including that he “can’t tell you definitively exactly what we’re talking about here.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) mentioned he’s “not concerned about any imminent threats, the public deserves answers and for New Jersey to not become the Wild West.”
“That’s why I’m introducing new legislation to invest in radar technology that allows local law enforcement to monitor and ensure the safety of drone activity,” Gottheimer continued in an X submit Wednesday.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday backed the concept the drones be “shot down, if mandatory,” The Related Press (AP) reported.
“We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” he mentioned, based on the AP.
The AP additionally reported that Blumenthal pushed for extra motion “against these drones that have been reported” from the Biden administration.
Final week on X, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) mentioned she “joined a briefing with state and federal law enforcement regarding the continued reports of drones flying over Morris County.”
“As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have reached out to the Department Of Defense for additional information,” Sherrill added.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) on Tuesday in his personal X submit famous “a Chinese spy balloon drifted across U.S. airspace” again in early 2023.
“Now, unidentified drones are flying over New Jersey, avoiding radar detection,” Van Drew continued. “Gaps in our airspace are being exploited, and because of it, the safety of Americans is at risk.”
Van Drew additionally made a debunked declare Wednesday about Iran launching the drones not too long ago noticed in New Jersey through a mom ship.
In a Wednesday interview on Fox Information’s “The Faulkner Focus” with anchor Harris Faulkner, Van Drew mentioned, “From very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources, I’m gonna tell you the real deal: Iran launched a mother ship, probably about a month ago that contains these drones.”
“That mother ship is off — I’m gonna tell you the deal — it’s off the East Coast of the United States of America,” he added. “They’ve launched drones.”
At a briefing Wednesday, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh responded to the declare.
“There is not any truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there’s no so-called mother ship launching drones toward the United States,” Singh mentioned.
The Hill has reached out to the White Home and Division of Protection for remark.
