Press Releases

House Foreign Affairs Committee member Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) released the following statement following the reported downing of a Chinese spy balloon off of the coast of the Carolinas.

“As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am calling for the Biden Administration to provide immediate answers regarding the Chinese ‘Spy Balloon’ fiasco,” said Rep. Mike Lawler. “The fact that the Chinese government was able to invade U.S. airspace and violate American sovereignty is deeply disturbing. That they were able to fly their spy balloon over numerous states and sensitive military locations unimpeded is unacceptable.”

“China remains our greatest geopolitical threat and must be held accountable for this brazen attack on our sovereignty. The American people deserve answers, and the Biden administration must be forthcoming with the truth,” continued Rep. Lawler. “How long has the administration known about this program? Is this the first ‘spy balloon’ to have violated American airspace? What is it the Chinese government is trying to collect intelligence on? Why was the ‘spy balloon’ able to enter American airspace?”

“Speaker McCarthy and the House Republican Majority have created the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party precisely because of actions like this by the Chinese Government. President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin must cooperate with Congress and provide immediate answers,” concluded Rep. Lawler.