The Biden administration is turning up the pressure on Congress to renew and expand federal powers to combat dangerous drones before current authorities expire this fall.
Key congressional staff members joined an audience at the Department of Homeland Security’s headquarters Thursday for a demonstration of how different types of drones can pose threats by delivering contraband, spraying chemicals, conducting surveillance, or swarming a target.
The federal government must retain the ability to mitigate those threats and protect the US, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the crowd, citing a recent drone flight that grounded planes at Pittsburgh International Airport.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas talks to reporters during a June 15, 2023 drone demonstration at the Department of Homeland Security’s headquarters.
Ellen M. Gilmer/Bloomberg Government
“What we are ...