Lawmakers troubled by Northeast drone sightings as calls for investigation mount

The Northeast, especially New Jersey, has been rattled by reports of drone sightings in recent weeks, and multiple lawmakers in Congress want more information.

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 Security 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 were first reportedly spotted last month, with the majority of sightings in Hunterdon and Morris counties, which are part of the northern and central regions of the state. However, according to a Tuesday report by local newspaper the Staten Island Advance, there have now been reported drone sightings in Staten Island, which is a borough of New York City.

“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 includes Staten Island, said Wednesday in a post 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 network NewsNation, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said 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 said, adding that he “can’t tell you definitively exactly what we’re talking about here.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) said he is “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 post Wednesday.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday backed the idea that the drones be “shot down, if necessary," The Associated 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 said, according to the AP.

The AP also reported that Blumenthal pushed for more action “against these drones that have been reported” from the Biden administration.

Last week on X, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) said 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 own X post noted “a Chinese spy balloon drifted across U.S. airspace” back 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 also made a debunked claim Wednesday about Iran launching the drones recently spotted in New Jersey via a mother ship.

In a Wednesday interview on Fox News’s “The Faulkner Focus” with anchor Harris Faulkner, Van Drew said, “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 claim.

“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 said.

The Hill has reached out to the White House and Department of Defense for comment.

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