Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Committee warns of drone threats to public events; nominee pledges to work with Congress on counter-UAS authorities
Loading...
Summary
Senators pressed Kristi Noem on counter-drone authorities and the need for durable, long-term legal authorities to address weaponized small UAS threats at public events. Noem said she would work with Congress on durable authorities and to coordinate DHS roles.
Multiple senators pressed Governor Kristi Noem on the growing drone threat to large public venues and infrastructure and urged durable legal authorities for counter-UAS operations beyond repeated short-term extensions. Senator Peters described concerns about weaponized small unmanned aircraft systems and the risk to stadiums and other mass events, asking the nominee to commit to working with Congress on long-term authorities before short-term extensions expire.
Noem agreed she would "look forward to working with you in this committee to address the threats we may face and the usage of drones in this country," and said DHS has a responsibility to coordinate with Congress on counter-UAS tools and authorities. Lawmakers emphasized the need to balance operational countermeasures with communications-privacy and data-retention questions, including the potential for bulk collection of cell-site data when trying to interdict drones.
Senators also urged that durable authorities consider chain-of-custody, oversight and civil-liberties protections, and to ensure clear roles among the Justice Department, DHS components, and local law enforcement. Noem endorsed working with members on durable legislation and with sport and venue operators on risk mitigation.
