Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is pushing for an investigation into President Joe Biden's response to the Chinese balloon floating over the United States.
In a Friday letter shared with Fox News, Hawley requests that Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters "expeditiously convene a hearing" on the balloon and a lack of action from U.S. officials.
As Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members, "We have an obligation to obtain a full understanding of the surveillance that the Chinese government is currently conducting in gross violation of U.S. airspace and to understand the Biden Administration's baffling response thus far," Hawley wrote to the Michigan Democrat.
"This is a matter of homeland security, and we should hear from senior members of the Biden Administration to understand their response, or lack thereof, so far," he added.
Hawley further claimed that the purpose of the balloon is to "spy on our nuclear capabilities," likely citing a Pentagon official who told reporters that there is "very high confidence" it is intended for surveillance over sensitive sites.
China has denied those accusations, referring to the balloon as an off-course "civilian airship" primarily used to track weather. However, The Washington Post noted that it was initially seen over Montana, a home for U.S. nuclear missile silos.
According to Defense Department spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has predicted the balloon will continue to head eastward before it eventually leaves the U.S.
"Rather than shooting down or otherwise disabling this high-altitude balloon, the Biden Administration is merely 'monitoring the situation' and referring reporters to the Chinese government for answers," Hawley stressed. "This is a gross violation of American sovereignty."
His letter comes after House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., criticized the Biden administration's failure to notify his panel of the Chinese balloon in U.S. airspace.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.