ICYMI: Chairman Green Demands Answers on Unexplained Aerial Sightings, Leads on Legislative Solutions for Counter-Drone Response

WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) continues to demand answers on the unexplained aerial sightings across the Northeast United States over the past month. In recent high-profile interviews, the Chairman emphasized how these incidents underscore the need for Congress to pass his bipartisan bill, the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act of 2024, which would ensure state and certain covered local law enforcement agencies can operate approved systems to swiftly detect, track, and mitigate malicious drone use. Chairman Green introduced this legislation in June 2024 alongside House Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

While many missing pieces have yet to be uncovered, Chairman Green has pointed out how the Biden National Security Council has yet to take action on this issue, including its failure to coordinate a briefing with necessary updates for as requested by policymakers. Further, the lack of timely and satisfactory responses to congressional inquiries is only making the situation worse.

Watch Chairman Green on Fox News' Hannity.

"They told us that there are some of these where they don't know what's going on. So, to suggest that they are all manned aircraft - [John] Kirby should know better. Don't create fear--but listen, the fact of the matter is some of these things are unidentified. We have to get the resources there, they have the capability-DHS and DOD-they have the authorities. And we're about to extend the authorities. I have a bill right now in Congress to give local law enforcement the ability to shoot down these drones. Right now, they don't have the authorities from the FAA."

Watch Chairman Green on Fox News' America's Newsroom.

"What is really tragic or frustrating to us in Congress is that the FBI has known about this since the beginning of November, and we're getting informed, just like with the Chinese spy balloon, after the public sees it and raises concerns. That's really unacceptable. We're a co-equal branch of government. The Constitution is pretty clear. They should have been communicating with us a lot sooner."

Watch Chairman Green on NewsNation's On Balance with Leland Vittert.

"It takes capturing one of these things to actually get any data. Now, there are other classified mechanisms of getting information, but those aren't in the hands of local law enforcement who are watching this kind of stuff. That's why I've got a bill right now to actually empower local law enforcement to do something to drones, but right now that authority doesn't exist for those guys…We have to be prepared to protect the homeland, that's why this piece of legislation has got to pass

Watch Chairman Green on Fox Business' Coast to Coast with Neil Cavuto.

"There is a significant amount of fear over this and it's justifiable. We've had drones invade airspace over our military installations in Germany, in California, and in New Jersey now, in Picatinny, this is a concern…There is a subset of this that we don't know what it is, they haven't reported it, and they haven't told us in Congress-which is even more egregious. They've known since the beginning of November…This is inappropriate behavior from this administration."

Watch Chairman Green on Fox Business' The Evening Edit.

"These drones could be from anyone-a recreational user, they could be from our adversaries that are spying on our infrastructure and the layout of our infrastructure, our military-we don't know. The problem is that the authorizations are about to expire. So, we've got legislation right now to renew those, and to expand the authorizations that allow both DOJ and DHS, and, in this legislation, advance those authorities to local authorities to actually watch these things and, in the case where there's a threat, to destroy them."

Listen to Chairman Green on The Vince Coglianese Show .

"What we do know is that in California, a Chinese national was arrested following his flight of a drone over a U.S. military base. So, we do know that espionage is happening with drones. Do we know specifically about what's happening in New Jersey? No, because we haven't gotten one on the ground yet."

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