The top Democratic member of the House committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, is calling on the Biden administration to be more transparent about multiple drone sightings on the East Coast. In an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” Krishnamoorthi urged the administration to provide more information on the nature of these sightings.
According to the Illinois lawmaker, the Biden administration needs to be more forthcoming with information about these drones. He also expressed concerns about the possibility of Chinese surveillance through these drones.
“I don’t know. But what I do know is that I think that the administration needs to be more forthcoming with information that they have. If they believe that some of these lights in the sky are civilian aircraft, then show us,” Krishnamoorthi said.
He also emphasized the need for information about Chinese manufactured drones, warning that they could allow the CCP to access data in a backdoor manner and ultimately surveil Americans. This is why Krishnamoorthi, along with Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, has pushed legislation to ban drones made by the Chinese-owned manufacturer Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure.
“When these Chinese manufactured drones allow for the CCP … to access data in a backdoor manner and ultimately surveil Americans, we have got a serious national security threat on our hands,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Bartiromo pressed Krishnamoorthi on the issue, asking why the U.S. government would purchase drones from a company that has been flagged by the Department of Defense as a “Chinese military company.” His response: “Because they’re cheap.” He also pointed out that buying these drones from China prevents the development of a domestic drone industry and de-incentivizes American manufacturers from creating more trusted drones.
In light of the recent drone sightings on the East Coast, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns and called for action. A New Jersey homeowner even reported a drone crashing in their backyard last week, further escalating concerns.
It’s time for the Biden administration to take this threat seriously and address the issue of surveillance drones from China. Our national security is at stake, and it’s time to prioritize and support American-made drones.