Schumer seeks legislation giving local officials authority to ‘swiftly’ respond to drone sightings
The mystery surrounding possible drones over New Jersey and New York continues to grow
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Monday that he will move to advance drone legislation this week that will give local officials more authority to respond to the growing concerns of drone sightings.
Reports of drones flying over New Jersey and New York, particularly near military research facilities and Trump’s Bedminster golf course, have prompted lawmakers to press the Biden administration for more transparency when it comes to who is flying the suspected unmanned aircraft and why the government is not doing anything about them.
Schumer has called on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to "quickly deploy" any drone-detecting tools that are available to help New York and New Jersey deal with the mysterious drone sightings that started a few weeks ago.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This week, I will also come to the floor of the Senate to seek passage of legislation that will give local officials greater authority to swiftly respond to these sightings," Schumer said while speaking on the Senate floor on Monday. "The reports of the past few weeks have ignited immense anxiety and confusion for millions of people living across the Northeast. Thankfully, there is no reason to believe these drone sightings pose a national security threat, but even so they can be disruptive if they fly over restricted airspace particularly near airports or bases."
SCHUMER REQUESTS 360-DEGREE RADAR SYSTEM FOR NY, NJ TO DETECT DRONES
Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is seeking passage of legislation that gives local officials greater authority to react swiftly to possible drone reports. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
He continued, saying there was no shortage of reports of possible drone activity, yet there are few answers being provided about where some of the drones originated from and who was operating them.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Local officials lack the resources and authority to find the underlying cause of the matter, Schumer added.
NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A ‘CLASSIFIED EXERCISE’: FORMER CIA OFFICER
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., listens to a question from a reporter during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Along with seeking the Senate’s help in passing the legislation, Schumer also urged the DHS to take all necessary action to deploy as many drone-detecting resources as possible.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One of those technologies is the Robin Radar System, which, according to its website, notes "bird, bat, or drone, our 360° radar systems log thousands of observations, scanning every second to track and classify with precision."
DRONE MYSTERY CONTINUES IN NEW JERSEY AS EXPERTS OFFER NEW THEORIES ABOUT SIGHTINGS
Photos taken in the Bay Shore section of Toms River of what appear to be large drones hovering in the area at high altitudes in New Jersey on Sunday, December 8, 2024. The drones seemed to be well above the 400 feet height FAA regulations allow. (Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
Schumer said systems like Robin would go a long way to help local officials collect real data about where these drones are coming from.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I want to see a flock of ROBIN-like technology systems deployed across the New York City metro area," he said. "So, we need the Department of Homeland Security to spring into action."
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The House Intelligence Committee will receive a classified briefing on the drone activity on Tuesday afternoon, a source familiar with the matter told Punchbowl News. The news agency also said Biden administration officials from the FBI, Department of Defense, CIA, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence will hold the briefing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.