Senators in both parties are attempting to figure out how to prevent another surveillance balloon from a foreign adversary from floating over the United States undetected in the future.
Many expressed concern about gaps in the U.S.’s ability to safeguard its airspace following a classified briefing on Capitol Hill on Thursday. All 100 senators were briefed on the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down over the ocean Saturday. The balloon flew over sensitive military sites in Montana and drifted eastward for days.
“It is not just this administration; it is a number of administrations that have been late to the game in discovering and taking action against these kinds of technologically advanced surveillance,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal told reporters on Thursday. “We should be pounding on the door of the Pentagon and our intelligence community to up their game to be more vigilant and vigorous in countering this kind of spying and surveillance which is a form of warfare.
Tester emphasized that the U.S. needs to take steps to prevent future surveillance devices from entering the country’s airspace in the future. Some senators voiced concerns with the Biden administration’s response time and are asking for more transparency. The report recommended the Biden administration increase funding for development and diplomacy across the U.S. government and dedicate a larger portion of State Department resources to the Indo-Pacific.
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