WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was blocked from quickly introducing a bill Wednesday that would allow local law enforcement agencies to track aerial drones, ensuring Congress won’t act this year on the mysterious drone sightings that have baffled New Jerseyans. and in the eastern US
Schumer, a New York Democrat, tried to speed a bipartisan bill through the Senate by seeking unanimous consent in the chamber, but Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, objected to its passage.
“People in New York and New Jersey have a lot of questions, and they’re not getting enough answers,” Schumer said. “The utter confusion surrounding these drone sightings shows that the FBI cannot respond alone.”
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Schumer has also called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy better drone tracking technology to identify the drones and their operators.
The Senate bill would also have expanded the authority of some federal agencies to act against drones, and launched a pilot program to allow states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior permission from the operator.
“This bill would ensure that law enforcement has the technology needed to quickly and clearly identify exactly what reported drone sightings across the country actually are,” said Senator Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat who sponsored the bipartisan bill sponsored.
National security officials have said the drones do not appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a threat to public safety. But they cannot say for certain who is responsible for the sudden swarms of drones over parts of New Jersey, New York and other eastern parts of the US.
Some US political leaders, including Trump, have called for much stronger action against the drones, including shooting them down.
Paul, the Kentucky Republican who often advocates limiting government powers, said he objected because it is not clear there is a threat that warrants urgent action.
He said the bill would “expand federal authority to intercept communications and disrupt drone activity — powers that raise serious concerns about American privacy, civil liberties, and Fourth Amendment protections against unwarranted searches and seizures.”
