New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in a Saturday statement said runways were closed at the New York Stewart Airport for about an hour Friday night due to nearby drone activity and called on Congress to strengthen oversight of drones.
Hochul’s statement comes among a rash of reported drone sightings, concern from some politicians and reassurances from federal agencies .
” This has gone too far ,” Hochul said in the statement.
Hochul urged Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act empowering local law enforcement to do more to counter drones. The statement comes as the New York State Intelligence Center continues to investigate sightings in the state alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security.
She joins several lawmakers in demanding the Biden Administration do more about the sightings. Meanwhile, Federal authorities have tried to reassure residents that the objects don’t appear to be operating nefariously. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have said many sightings appear to be not drones at all .