House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday dismissed the response of the Biden-Harris administration to the latest drone sightings in New Jersey, complaining that federal authorities did not provide clear answers to Congress about their origin.
In an appearance on Fox News, Johnson acknowledged that the White House, and the US government, do not seem concerned about the increase in sightings in New Jersey and other places in the Northeast.
“Look, I’m the speaker of the House. I have the same frustrations as you and we all have. We don’t have answers. The administration isn’t giving them,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he set up a meeting last week with officials from the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, and “there are no answers.”
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), left, speaks as House Majority Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) listens during a news conference at the US Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“They just said ‘don’t worry about it, it’s not foreign organizations, there’s no ship off the coast doing this, and it’s not collecting any data.’ Okay, what does it mean?” Johnson said.
“You heard Mayorkas, which no one believes, we put him in the house as you know, the secretary of DHS, said in an interview a few days ago, because they changed the rules to allow drones to fly at night, that’s why. everyone sees them now they have been there, look, people don’t buy answers. “We are investigating further to find answers, and we want the administration to do their job. We have to protect the American people, protect our intelligence, of course, and our data and everything else. We will come down eventually, but we still don’t have the answers.”
Johnson noted that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News on Monday that there are thousands of drones flying every day in the US, and that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in September 2023 was “changing the rules to allow drones to fly at night, and that it may be one of the reasons why people now see more drones than before, especially from dawn to dusk.”
Mayorkas also said it is “critical” that Congress expands the authority of federal and local agencies to combat drone activity “under federal supervision.”
Johnson responded to President Biden telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday that “nothing bad” has happened with drones, and that so far, “there is no sense of danger.”
“That’s why we need Donald J. Trump back in the White House to bring strong hands and a strong commander-in-chief,” Johnson said. “He would have already had the answers, he would have delivered them to the American people and to the members of Congress. That’s why leadership is important. That’s why he got the authority. That’s why the American people can’t wait for the America First agenda. To start, we can’t wait anymore.”
Federal authorities said Monday evening that the reported drone incidents were identified as legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned aircraft, helicopters and astronauts. Officials said the investigation is based on technical data and tips.
A drone is seen over Ridge, New York, Thursday evening on Dec. 12, 2024. (Grant Parpan/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
The House Intelligence Committee briefed law enforcement and intelligence officials on drones during a closed session Tuesday, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., told CNN.
Authorities told the panel there was still no evidence of public safety or national security threats, Himes said.
Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said Monday that drone surveillance equipment provided by the federal government had yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment, other than that it is powerful and can disable drones, although he said that is illegal on American soil. Murphy called on Congress to give states more authority to deal with drones.
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Meanwhile, the FBI and New Jersey state police have warned against pointing lasers at suspected drones, because the pilots are hit hard in the eyes. Authorities also said they were concerned that people might fire weapons at manned drones.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the federal government has not identified any public safety risks or national security risks from any reported drone sightings in the Northeast, adding that officials believe they were legitimate drones, aircraft or satellites.
“More than 1 million drones are legally registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,” said Kirby. “And there are thousands of commercial, recreational and law enforcement aircraft in the skies on any given day. That’s the ecosystem we’re dealing with.”
The federal government has sent personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is investigating every tip reported by citizens, he said.
A social media user claimed to have filmed multiple drones hovering over Fairfield, Connecticut, on Thursday night. (Lucy Biggers)
About 100 of the more than 5,000 sightings the FBI has seen in recent weeks have been deemed credible enough for further investigation, according to a joint statement by DHS, the FBI, the FAA and the Department of Defense.
Speculation is rife online, with some expressing concern that the drones could be part of a sinister plot by foreign operatives.
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Pentagon spokesman Maj. General Pat Ryder said that drones are unlikely to be used by the intelligence community, given how loud and bright they are. He reiterated on Tuesday that the reported drones are not being used by the Department of Defense. When asked if military contractors could use drones in the New Jersey area, Ryder dismissed the idea, saying “there are no military operations, no military drone or reconnaissance operations in this tunnel.”
Ryder said additional drone surveillance technology is being moved to other military facilities, including the Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, where drones have been reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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