New York Governor Kathy Hochul slammed the Biden administration's bumbling response to the crisis sweeping the East Coast, telling the White House the bizarre episode 'has gone too far.'
The Democrat spoke out after the drones forced Stewart Airfield to shut down its airspace for more than an hour on Friday, releasing a statement saying the feds 'must step in'.
Hochul's call comes after New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer and New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim sent a letter to the FBI, the FAA, and Homeland Security requesting clarity on the situation.
The letter insisted on an urgent briefing as the lawmakers, all Democrats, called on Biden to step up in handling the situation and reveal the mysterious source of the drones.
They noted that 'since late November, communities in the New York City area and northern New Jersey have reported several incidents of unattributable drone sightings at night, alarming both residents and local law enforcement.'
'The potential safety and security risks posed by these drones in civilian areas is especially pertinent considering recent drone incursions at sensitive military sites in and outside of the continental United States over the past year,' the letter read.
The Biden administration has maintained that the drones are not a public safety risk and pose no threat to the nation's security.
But many officials and members of the public have been left unsatisfied by that answer, with it still unclear where the drones came from or what they are doing in the East Coast skies.
A wave of footage has emerged of the drones since they were first spotted last month, with some of the clearest videos yet coming this week in Somerset County, New Jersey.
The video shows three 'mystery drones in the air' as two move extremely close as if they are interacting with each other and the third hovered for 'about 15 minutes.'
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said Monday night that the drones are 'very sophisticated, explaining: 'The minute we get eyes on them [the drones], they go dark.'
'I don't blame people for being frustrated,' Gov Murphy continued, adding that he had spent most of Sunday coordinating on the issue with both the White House and the US Department of Homeland Security in the hope of getting answers.
This call for urgent answers was echoed in Hochul's statement following the airport closure, as she said she is still in the dark despite asking for clarity a month ago.
'In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and those efforts are ongoing,' she said.
'But to allow state law enforcement to work on this issue, I am now calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act.
The Democrat spoke out after the drones forced Stewart Airfield to shut down its airspace for more than an hour on Friday, releasing a statement saying the feds 'must step in'.
Hochul's call comes after New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer and New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim sent a letter to the FBI, the FAA, and Homeland Security requesting clarity on the situation.
The letter insisted on an urgent briefing as the lawmakers, all Democrats, called on Biden to step up in handling the situation and reveal the mysterious source of the drones.
They noted that 'since late November, communities in the New York City area and northern New Jersey have reported several incidents of unattributable drone sightings at night, alarming both residents and local law enforcement.'
'The potential safety and security risks posed by these drones in civilian areas is especially pertinent considering recent drone incursions at sensitive military sites in and outside of the continental United States over the past year,' the letter read.
The Biden administration has maintained that the drones are not a public safety risk and pose no threat to the nation's security.
But many officials and members of the public have been left unsatisfied by that answer, with it still unclear where the drones came from or what they are doing in the East Coast skies.
A wave of footage has emerged of the drones since they were first spotted last month, with some of the clearest videos yet coming this week in Somerset County, New Jersey.
The video shows three 'mystery drones in the air' as two move extremely close as if they are interacting with each other and the third hovered for 'about 15 minutes.'
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said Monday night that the drones are 'very sophisticated, explaining: 'The minute we get eyes on them [the drones], they go dark.'
'I don't blame people for being frustrated,' Gov Murphy continued, adding that he had spent most of Sunday coordinating on the issue with both the White House and the US Department of Homeland Security in the hope of getting answers.
This call for urgent answers was echoed in Hochul's statement following the airport closure, as she said she is still in the dark despite asking for clarity a month ago.
'In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and those efforts are ongoing,' she said.
'But to allow state law enforcement to work on this issue, I am now calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act.
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