Democrat Representative Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey said Monday that New Jerseyans’ patience with the federal government’s response to statewide drone sightings is “getting very thin.”
The Democrat from New Jersey, who is a retired Navy helicopter commander, blasted the Biden-Harris administration’s lack of “coordination and communication” and released a plan to help “locate and track” the drones that have been soaring through the night skies in her district and others nearby for almost a month.
“After weeks of unidentified-drone sightings over New Jersey, two things are clear: One, the drones remain unidentified, and two, the people of New Jersey need clearer, more consistent communication as to what our government is learning and doing about the drones,” said Sherrill in a statement.
“New Jerseyans’ patience is getting very thin, including my own,” she continued.
Sherrill is running in the New Jersey 2025 race for governor.
While drones continue to be spotted throughout the Northeast, the current administration has faced fierce criticism from both sides of the political aisle over what was seen as a shrugged-shoulders response.
Democrat and GOP legislators on Capitol Hill have called on the Biden administration to disclose additional information about the origin of the drones and appease public concern about their intentions.
Most of the reported sightings of drones have occurred in northern New Jersey. However, there have also been reports of drones over Pennsylvania, New York, and U.S. military sites up and down the East Coast.
President-elect Trump blasts Biden administration over drone response
Monday, President-elect Donald Trump also blasted the outgoing Democrat administration over its response to the drones and said it was holding back information to “keep people in suspense.”
“The government knows what is happening,” said Trump to reporters. “Look, our military knows where they took off from; if it’s a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went.”
Drone sightings have been reported over Trump’s residence and golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Sherrill’s plan would have the federal government deploy a fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones with advanced tracking capabilities to determine where the drones are coming from. Currently, the Customs and Border Protection operates the Reaper drones.
She said Congress leadership should also hold a classified hearing with appropriate Senate and House committees, and testimony from leaders from relevant federal agencies should be included to coordinate information sharing.
Sherrill called for President Joe Biden to set up an interagency task force to “formulate a whole-of-government approach” and said the North American Aerospace Defense Command is uniquely qualified to lead the task force.
In addition, the congresswoman said the federal government must streamline communication immediately with the public, as the lack of a “unified, cohesive message from the federal government is only adding to the fear and concern that the public is feeling.”
