{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-pens-letter-requesting-greater-transparency-comprehensive-briefing-on-drone-activity-over-new-jersey", "Booker Pens Letter Requesting Greater Transparency, Comprehensive Briefing on Drone Activity Over New Jersey", "2024-12-10", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent a letter to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Secretary Pete Buttigieg of the Department of Transportation (DOT) requesting the agencies provide municipal and county officials with a comprehensive briefing regarding the unauthorized drone activity over New Jersey communities. He also requested that officials make any available information accessible to the public.\n\nSenator Booker wrote, \u201cOver the past several weeks, there have been multiple confirmed sightings of unexplained drone activity over New Jersey communities and military installations. These sightings have been confirmed by local and state authorities, prompting the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to open an investigation into the sightings and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose flight restrictions over Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County. On December 4th, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy convened a briefing with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, state agencies, and members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation. The unexplained drone activity in and around New Jersey continues, however, with reports on December 9th of drone sightings over Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County.\u201d\n\nThe letter continued, \u201cI recognize the need to maintain operational security of ongoing investigations and that this situation requires complex interagency coordination. However, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state\u2014from constituents and local officials alike\u2014despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety. As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread.\u201d\n\n\u201cI also request that the DHS, the FBI, and the FAA provide a briefing to New Jersey\u2019s municipal and county officials on the current situation, to include the federal government\u2019s response to date, in accordance with appropriate classification restrictions.\u201d\n\nSenator Booker\u2019s letter concludes, \u201cIt is our shared obligation to ensure that our airspace is safe and secure, and I am committed to giving New Jerseyans peace of mind about these activities. I am eager to assist with investigations into the origins of these activities and to work with you to develop policies to protect New Jersey\u2019s population and infrastructure from malicious drone activity.", 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://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-pens-letter-requesting-greater-transparency-comprehensive-briefing-on-drone-activity-over-new-jersey"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7253859657794237, "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"}