Finally, on the China surveillance balloon and what happened over the weekend, after yesterday's briefing, it is clear our defense and intelligence Agencies remain laser-focused on gathering every piece of information about what happened over U.S. and Canadian airspace. John Kirby said these most recent objects did not pose any direct threat to people on the ground. That is very important. People should not worry about that. Of course, we have much more to learn. Today, we are going to have another all-Senators briefing on the State of U.S. defense readiness with respect to China. I am sure that will include a discussion of the military but also of our surveillance abilities. Republicans eager to score political points right at this moment are doing nothing more than engaging in premature attacks. It is precipitous. It is no time for premature partisanship. We need to work together in Congress to get to the bottom of what happened, which Senator Tester is taking the lead on here in the Senate. I thank him and all of my colleagues of good faith for working together. ____________________
On the recordFebruary 15, 2023
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