Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike JohnsonLouisiana Republicans on Wednesday rejected the Biden-Harris administration's response to recent drone sightings in New Jersey, denouncing federal authorities for not giving Congress clear answers about the drones' origins.
In an interview with Fox News, Johnson agreed that the White House and the broader U.S. government seemed unconcerned about the increase in sightings in New Jersey and other parts of the Northeast.
"Listen, I'm the Speaker of the House. I share the same frustrations that you and all of us share. We don't have the answers. The government doesn't provide the answers," Johnson said.
Johnson said he held a meeting last week with officials from the Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security and the FBI but "has yet to receive a response."
Trump says government 'knows what's going on' over mysterious drones
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) (L) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on December 17, 2024, as House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) -LA) Listen (Alex Huang/Getty Images)
"They just said 'Don't worry, it's not a foreign entity, there are no ships at sea doing this, and they're not collecting any data.'" Well, what was that? Johnson said.
"You heard Mayorkas, no one believed him, we impeached him in the House, as you know, the secretary of Homeland Security, he said in an interview a few days ago, because they changed the rules to allow for People and planes fly at night, and that's why now everyone's seeing them, I mean, people don't believe the answers. "We're digging further to get answers, and we're asking the government to do its job. We have to protect Americans," he said. Of course, protecting our intelligence, and our data and everything else, we're going to take that seriously but we don't have the answers yet."
Johnson noted that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News on Monday that thousands of drones are flying in the United States every day and that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in September 2023 "changed the rules so that drones can fly at night, which may be one of the reasons why people are seeing more drones now than before, especially from dawn to dusk.
Mayorkas also said it was "critical" that Congress expand the authority of state and local agencies to combat drone activity "under federal oversight."
Johnson responded after President Biden told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that "nothing nefarious is happening" with the drones and so far there is "no sense of danger."
"That's why we need donald j. trump Return to the White House with a stable person in power and a strong commander in chief," Johnson said. "He already has the answers, he's delivered them to the American people and certainly to members of Congress. So leadership is important. That's why he's given the mandate. That's why the American people can't wait for the America First agenda. We can't wait to get started.
Federal authorities said late Monday that reported drone sightings have been identified as legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned aircraft, helicopters and even celebrity drones. Officials said the assessment was based on technical data and tips.
On the evening of Thursday, December 12, 2024, a drone appeared in the sky over Ridge, New York. (Grant Parpan/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., told CNN that the House Intelligence Committee grilled federal law enforcement and intelligence officials on the drone issue during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday.
Heims said authorities told the panel there was still no evidence of a threat to public safety or national security.
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that drone detection equipment provided by the federal government has produced little new information. He declined to describe the equipment, other than to say it was powerful and could even disable drones, although he said that would not be legal on U.S. soil. Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with drones.
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Meanwhile, the FBI and New Jersey State Police Warning not to use laser aiming Suspected drones, as pilots are being hit in the eyes more frequently. Authorities also said they were worried people might shoot at manned aircraft that they mistook for drones.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the federal government has not determined that any reported drone sightings in the Northeast pose any public safety or national security risk, adding that officials believe they are legally flying drones, aircraft or stars. .
"There are more than 1 million drones in the United States legally registered with the Federal Aviation Administration," Kirby said. "Thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones are legally flying in the skies every day. This That’s the ecosystem we’re dealing with.”
He said the federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate reports in New Jersey and other states and is evaluating every lead reported by citizens.
One social media user said she filmed several drones hovering over Fairfield, Connecticut, on Thursday night. (Lucy Biggs)
Of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks, about 100 were deemed sufficiently credible, according to a joint statement from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, FAA and FBI. , more investigation is needed. Department of Defense.
Speculation is rife online, with some fearing the drones could be part of a sinister plot by foreign agents.
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Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the drones were unlikely to be involved in intelligence gathering given their sound and brightness. He reiterated on Tuesday that the drone reported was not operated by the Department of Defense. Asked about the possibility of military contractors operating drones in the New Jersey area, Ryder disputed that notion and said there are "no military operations, no military drones or experimental operations in this corridor."
Ryder said additional drone detection technology is being transferred to some military installations, including Picatinny Arsenal and Earle Naval Weapons Station in new jerseythere are also reports of drones.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.