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The top Republican and Democrat on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Competition Committee have issued a joint statement denouncing the Pentagon’s response to a Chinese spy balloon spotted over Montana.
“The United States Government has detected and is tracking a high altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now,” the Pentagon told the nation in a Feb. 2 statement.
“The U.S. government, to include NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely,” the statement continued. “The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder insisted during a Feb. 3 press conference that the balloon, which he said is currently moving eastward across the central U.S., “does not pose a physical or military risk to people on the ground.”Bipartisan Response
The same day, CCP Competition Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) issued a statement decrying the Pentagon’s response to the threat.
The statement was posted to Gallagher’s website.
“The Chinese Communist Party should not have on-demand access to American airspace,” the two lawmakers wrote. “Not only is this a violation of American sovereignty, coming only days before Secretary Blinken’s trip to the [People’s Republic of China], but it also makes clear that the CCP’s recent diplomatic overtures do not represent a substantive change in policy. Indeed, this incident demonstrates that the CC threat is not confined to distant shores—it is here at home and we must act to counter this threat.”
While much of the 118th Congress is hopelessly divided along party lines, Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi agree on the risk posed by the CCP.
In an additional statement on his website, Gallagher applauded House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-N.Y.) appointment of Krishnamoorthi.
“I’m thrilled to have Rep.
