{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413459", "Smith holds news conference in Seaside Heights on unidentified drone activity in New Jersey", "2024-12-14", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "The following are excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) at his news conference today in Seaside Heights, NJ, on the ongoing unidentified drone activity across the state:\n\n\"On the large number of drones flying throughout New Jersey and elsewhere that have so far evaded identification, origin, mission or potential threat to Americans, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas shockingly said this week: \u2018We haven\u2019t seen anything unusual. We know of no threat.\u2019\n\nWhat? The massive invasion of drones observed and recorded by many of our citizens including law enforcement and military personnel\u2014many in this room\u2014isn\u2019t unusual?\n\nIs he kidding?\n\nHow does Secretary Mayorkas who infamously told us for years that our southern border was secure and closed\u2014when it was and is not\u2014now insult our intelligence that \u2018we haven\u2019t seen anything unusual\u2019?\n\nThis is usual?\n\nAnd how can he\u2014and others like national security spokesman Admiral John Kirby\u2014say we know of no threat?\n\nHow can anyone speculate or issue assurances to the thousands of Americans who have witnessed the drones that there is no threat?\n\nFor weeks, we\u2019ve asked for the truth and action to mitigate any and all threats to people and property.\n\nNow we are demanding it.\n\nAs the sightings increase including by servicemembers at Naval Weapons Station Earle\u2014where several have been seen or by the Coast Guard which had one of its 47-foot rescue boats followed in very close proximity off its stern by numerous drones\u2014why can\u2019t we bag at least one drone and get to the bottom of this?\n\nWhy can\u2019t we even track a suspect drone to its origin?\n\nHave we so little control over our airspace?\n\nRemember the feckless response to the Chinese Communist Party Spy balloon?\n\nThe elusive maneuvering of these drones suggests a major military power sophistication that begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities\u2014or worse\u2014by violent dictatorships including Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea.\n\nThe Pentagon has already said the drones are not ours.\n\nI\u2019ve written Defense Secretary Llyod Austin asking the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to down one or more of these unmanned threats to uncover the mystery of the drones.\n\nKnowing how drone warfare has radically changed warfighting in Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East and elsewhere, this is not the time to trivialize or dismiss the threat.\n\nSpecial thanks to both Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy and Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden for doing all within their power and authority to aggressively investigate and track drone appearances.\n\nThey are doing an amazing job.\n\nAs many of you know, state and local law enforcement is precluded by law from taking more decisive action\u2014which again is why DOD must act now and Congress and the President need to move quickly to expand state and local authorities.\n\nSheriff Golden wrote me a few days ago requesting legislation to empower the state police to seriously protect at risk persons and infrastructure, and if necessary, bring down a dangerous drone or drones.\n\nI am drafting that bill now and will introduce it soon.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413459"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.207286026328802, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}