Rep. Nicole Malliotakis called out New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams for not taking steps to investigate the large mysterious drones hovering high above her Staten Island district.
“She has not said a word. I haven’t heard the mayor or the governor address this at all,” Ms. Malliotakis told The Washington Times.
The number of unexplained sightings of drones has increased since they were first seen in mid-November flying over counties in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, and their presence still seems to stump local, state and federal officials.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and several mayors in the state are demanding answers from the federal government,
Ms. Malliotakis said she has not seen the same effort from Ms. Hochul or Mr. Adams.
“It seems the New Jersey governor is very proactive, and our governor is nowhere to be found and hasn’t contacted us. She hasn’t publicly called for a briefing for answers and has not set up any type of briefing for members,” she said.
The Times reached out to Ms. Hochul and Mr. Adams for comment.
Democratic Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Cory Booker and Andy Kim of New Jersey sent a letter to the FBI, Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday requesting a briefing on the drone activity in their states.
The senators said 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.”
They said, “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 senators said they wanted briefings that “include any authorities, tools, or staff your agencies may require to address these ongoing incidents and the broader security challenge posed by [Unmanned Aircraft Systems].”
A lawmaker recently asked why no action has been taken against the inexplicable large contraptions in the sky.
“We can bring one down tomorrow,” said Rep. Christopher Smith, New Jersey Republican.
House lawmakers have received little information about the drones from federal officials.
Robert Wheeler Jr., who runs the FBI’s critical incident response group, said no evidence suggests nefarious motives, but he hasn’t ruled that out.
“It is concerning,” he told the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday.
He said the public has provided more than 3,000 tips, and reports are everywhere.
Some drones have been fixed-wing aircraft, and others are rotary. Some are larger than the typical commercially available size.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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