Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6438, the DHS Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Coordinator Act. In 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration estimated that there were 1.9 million consumer unmanned aircraft systems vehicles, commonly known as drones, in the U.S. This number is expected to grow to a staggering 4.3 million by the end of 2020. The increased availability and expanded use of drones has led to concerns over the potential risks to national security. Drones provide malicious actors both a robust aerial delivery mechanism for potentially hazardous payloads and anonymity in carrying out an attack. This threat is not just imaginary. Known incidents involving drones have included weaponized use by ISIS and cartels, smuggling operations, intrusions at NFL and Olympic stadiums, and damage to electrical grid infrastructure in Canada. Several DHS offices and components assess drone threats and are members of interagency and industry drone working groups which promote information sharing, research, and joint problem-solving initiatives. However, DHS currently does not have a centralized, departmentwide official responsible for the coordination of counter-drone policies and activities. H.R.…”