Members of Congress are speaking out on “unknown drones” that have been spotted by residents zipping around in the skies of New Jersey and New York over the past few weeks.
These sightings have prompted investigations, Federal Aviation Administration flight restrictions, and demands for more transparency about what is happening.
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram posted to X on Tuesday about an exchange he had with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) about the situation ahead of a drone-focused hearing:
Pergram: It seems as though Members from both sides are not getting answers about these drones or whatever they’re seeing in New Jersey and Staten Island. There’s a hearing focusing on this today. What is the level of concern? Do you think the government is being straight? And Members can’t even get answers on this.
Johnson: We’re working on that. We need straight answers of course. We are concerned about drones and all of these new technologies and what it might mean for national security and the safety of the American citizen. I’m looking forward to the outcome of that hearing. And if we don’t get the necessary answers there, we’ll dig deeper and go to the classified level.
Pergram: Any thought that these might be “dark” programs?
Johnson: I hope not. I do not believe so. But there’s a lot of investigation going on. So we’ll find out.
Other lawmakers, including members of both parties and chambers of Congress, have also sounded off on the sightings.
“Last December, a fleet of drones swarmed Langley Air Force Base next to my district, and now, more drones are swarming sites along the East Coast,” Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), vice chairman of the Armed Services Committee, posted to X on Tuesday.
CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
“This is a serious threat to public safety and national security — we’ve got to invest in our nation’s counter-drone programs if we want to deter adversaries from gathering information on Americans,” he added.
“Repeated incidents involving unknown drones over American airspace must be addressed. That is why I am leading a charge to update DOD’s authorities to detect and stop these drones when they are over military facilities,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said in a post to X.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said in a post to X, “My office has been in communication with Governor Murphy’s office and our federal agency partners. While the drones currently pose no known threat to the public, my team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, similarly emphasized to reporters on Monday that officials did not see anything that would warrant public safety concerns, but he also said authorities were taking the sightings “deadly seriously” and he participated in discussions with the White House and Homeland Security leaders “pretty much all day” on Sunday.
Dozens of sightings have been called in since November. Some activity has been reported around President-elect Donald Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, where “car-sized” drones have reportedly been spotted.
What people are seeing are “apparently very, as I understand it, very sophisticated. The minute you get eyes on them, they go dark,” Murphy said. “We’re obviously most concerned about sensitive targets, and sensitive critical infrastructure. So we’ve got military assets, we’ve got utility assets, we’ve got the president-elect — one of his homes here.”
The FBI released a statement last week stating that investigators were seeking any information from the public on “the cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft” along the Raritan River in New Jersey.
Suspected drones have also been spotted in New York’s Staten Island and Brooklyn.
Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ), whose district is where many of the sightings in the Garden State have been reported, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of answers in a post to X on Monday.
“I join thousands of New Jersey residents in deep frustration regarding the growing concerns over drones operating in our skies. The safety and privacy of our residents must be a top priority, and right now, both are being put at risk,” Kean said.
He added, “I am calling for the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration, and other appropriate federal agencies to deploy greater resources to investigate and address this escalating issue. Additionally, an in-depth public briefing from authorities should take place immediately.”
“The people of New Jersey deserve answers, and I will continue to demand accountability to ensure their rights and security are fully protected,” Kean concluded.
[#item_full_content]
[[{“value”:”
Members of Congress are speaking out on “unknown drones” that have been spotted by residents zipping around in the skies of New Jersey and New York over the past few weeks.
These sightings have prompted investigations, Federal Aviation Administration flight restrictions, and demands for more transparency about what is happening.
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram posted to X on Tuesday about an exchange he had with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) about the situation ahead of a drone-focused hearing:
Pergram: It seems as though Members from both sides are not getting answers about these drones or whatever they’re seeing in New Jersey and Staten Island. There’s a hearing focusing on this today. What is the level of concern? Do you think the government is being straight? And Members can’t even get answers on this.
Johnson: We’re working on that. We need straight answers of course. We are concerned about drones and all of these new technologies and what it might mean for national security and the safety of the American citizen. I’m looking forward to the outcome of that hearing. And if we don’t get the necessary answers there, we’ll dig deeper and go to the classified level.
Pergram: Any thought that these might be “dark” programs?
Johnson: I hope not. I do not believe so. But there’s a lot of investigation going on. So we’ll find out.
Other lawmakers, including members of both parties and chambers of Congress, have also sounded off on the sightings.
“Last December, a fleet of drones swarmed Langley Air Force Base next to my district, and now, more drones are swarming sites along the East Coast,” Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), vice chairman of the Armed Services Committee, posted to X on Tuesday.
CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
“This is a serious threat to public safety and national security — we’ve got to invest in our nation’s counter-drone programs if we want to deter adversaries from gathering information on Americans,” he added.
“Repeated incidents involving unknown drones over American airspace must be addressed. That is why I am leading a charge to update DOD’s authorities to detect and stop these drones when they are over military facilities,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said in a post to X.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said in a post to X, “My office has been in communication with Governor Murphy’s office and our federal agency partners. While the drones currently pose no known threat to the public, my team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, similarly emphasized to reporters on Monday that officials did not see anything that would warrant public safety concerns, but he also said authorities were taking the sightings “deadly seriously” and he participated in discussions with the White House and Homeland Security leaders “pretty much all day” on Sunday.
Dozens of sightings have been called in since November. Some activity has been reported around President-elect Donald Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, where “car-sized” drones have reportedly been spotted.
What people are seeing are “apparently very, as I understand it, very sophisticated. The minute you get eyes on them, they go dark,” Murphy said. “We’re obviously most concerned about sensitive targets, and sensitive critical infrastructure. So we’ve got military assets, we’ve got utility assets, we’ve got the president-elect — one of his homes here.”
The FBI released a statement last week stating that investigators were seeking any information from the public on “the cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft” along the Raritan River in New Jersey.
Suspected drones have also been spotted in New York’s Staten Island and Brooklyn.
Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ), whose district is where many of the sightings in the Garden State have been reported, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of answers in a post to X on Monday.
“I join thousands of New Jersey residents in deep frustration regarding the growing concerns over drones operating in our skies. The safety and privacy of our residents must be a top priority, and right now, both are being put at risk,” Kean said.
He added, “I am calling for the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration, and other appropriate federal agencies to deploy greater resources to investigate and address this escalating issue. Additionally, an in-depth public briefing from authorities should take place immediately.”
“The people of New Jersey deserve answers, and I will continue to demand accountability to ensure their rights and security are fully protected,” Kean concluded.
“}]]
