Senator Jon Tester has expressed concern about the balloon potentially flying over ICBM facilities in Montana.
A top Senate Democrat has said he will be “demanding answers” from President Joe Biden’s administration after a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon flew over his home state of Montana.
Senator Jon Tester, who is chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, announced on Friday that the committee will hold a hearing about the balloon.
The subcommittee that Tester chairs plays a key role in funding for the Pentagon, which has been monitoring the Chinese balloon as it has crossed the U.S., while the Department of Defense (DOD) has said their officials believe the balloon to have “surveillance capabilities.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has described the balloon as a “civilian airship” mostly used to monitor the weather.
Tester noted in a press release that the balloon had been seen above the town of Billings, Montana on Friday.
