Booker 'concerned' about New Jersey drone sightings, wants more transparency

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) weighed in on the uptick of unidentified drone sightings in his home state, saying he is "concerned."

“I’m concerned, I issued a letter to ask for more information, I think there should be a lot more transparency about it,” Booker told reporters Thursday on Capitol Hill. 

Senators from New York and New Jersey, including Booker, sent a letter Thursday to the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), asking for a briefing on the drones seen flying over their states.

“The potential safety and security risks posed by these drones in civilian areas is especially pertinent considering recent drone incursions at sensitive military sites in and outside of the continental United States over the past year,” they wrote in the letter and said they expect a reply no later than on Dec. 23. 

Booker added that he has been a “little frustrated.” 

"There hasn't been enough transparency letting people know what's happening,” he said. “It's allowing a lot of potentially misinformation to spread, or at least fear. We should know what's going on over our skies."

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the current administration is in search of more information about the drone sightings which have been seen since late November over both New York and northern New Jersey. But he brushed off the likelihood that they are a threat.

The Defense Department has also said there’s “no evidence” the unmanned aircraft are a product of a foreign entity or “the work of an adversary,” according to the Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh. 

The FBI is currently investigating the sightings. 

“The Biden Administration’s inaction to intercept & identify the drones over New York & New Jersey is shocking, concerning & unacceptable,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) said Wednesday.