Republicans in the Senate have called for an investigation into the Biden administration’s handling of a Chinese spy balloon that was spotted over the U.S. this week.
Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) are both calling for answers about the Chinese balloon, including why it was not shot down when it was first detected in U.S. airspace.
SECOND SUSPECTED CHINESE BALLOON SPOTTED OVER LATIN AMERICA
“The Department of Defense says that this Chinese asset ‘has violated U.S. airspace and international law, which is unacceptable.’ But despite this violation of our nation’s airspace, the Department of Defense has taken no action to stop the Chinese asset from proceeding to pass over, and likely surveil, some of our most sensitive military sites,” Schmitt said in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The Pentagon announced on Thursday that it was monitoring a balloon over Billings, Montana, that it had “very high confidence” belonged to China. The balloon is movable and is located about 60,000 feet above the United States.
Biden was briefed on the balloon on Tuesday, with additional updates from the Pentagon this week, but elected not to shoot the balloon down due to risk of harming U.S. civilians. Officials also assessed that the balloon does not pose a physical threat to the U.S. or to civilian aviation.
“We have an obligation to obtain a full understanding of the surveillance that the Chinese government is currently conducting,” Hawley said in a letter to Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) on Friday. “China’s foray into America’s sovereign airspace is deeply disturbing and calls for an immediate investigation. This is a matter of homeland security, and we should hear from senior members of the Biden administration to understand their response, or lack thereof, so far.”
A second balloon was spotted over Latin America on Friday, the Pentagon confirmed to the Washington Examiner. It is not clear where either balloon is right now, but the Pentagon said it was monitoring the situation, and the Latin America balloon does not appear to be flying toward the U.S. The first balloon is expected to continue flying in U.S. airspace for a few more days.
China has attempted to dismiss the balloon as a “civilian weather balloon,” but U.S. intelligence officials have rejected that narrative, and claimed they believe it is gathering surveillance.
“We know that is a lie,” Hawley said in the letter. “The Pentagon has confirmed that the balloon is ‘maneuverable’ and is currently somewhere over the center of the continental United States — in violation of U.S. airspace and international law.”
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Other members of the GOP, and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) have criticized the current administration for its response to the balloon, with Tester calling the incident “unacceptable” and vowed to hold the Biden administration accountable for any failings.
Former President Donald Trump, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), have also advocated for shooting the balloon down.
