December 13, 2024

Sounding the Alarm on Unidentified Drones Over the U.S.

Over the past month, videos have surfaced of unidentified and unauthorized drones flying over the Eastern United States. It is unacceptable that the Biden Administration's Department of Defense is not protecting the sovereignty of American airspace.

As Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee on Counterterrorism, I led a hearing to examine the threats posed by drones to the United States homeland. The recent drone sightings in New Jersey are alarming and concerning. In the wrong hands, drone technology can negatively impact American national security while disrupting critical infrastructure.

I joined "Hannity" on Fox News to discuss the unauthorized drones flying over New Jersey. Watch the full interview here or below.

Voting to Fund Our Troops and Support Military Families

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. The legislation included many conservative wins—including a pay raise for all enlisted service members, freezing the hire of DEI personnel, and banning gender affirming care for minor children of servicemembers. The legislation now awaits a vote in the U.S. Senate.

I am proud that the NDAA included several of my priorities in funding various projects at Goodfellow Air Force Base and Fort Cavazos, which include funding increases for needed upgrades to barracks for our military families and investment in the motor pool at Fort Cavazos.

Pfluger Specific FY 2025 NDAA Initiatives:

• Fully funds the “Rip and Replace” program to remove Chinese sourced communications technology from U.S. networks.
• Requires the administration to provide information on how proceeds from illicit Iranian oil exports are funding the IRGC and Iranian-backed terrorist proxies.
• Requires the Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination with the STRATCOM Commander, to develop and then implement a plan to restore the B-52 bombers' nuclear capacities.  
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop an integrated space and satellite security strategy in cooperation with allies and partners in the Middle East.
• Allows service academy graduates to play professional sports and fulfill their service obligation through reserve duty in a recruiting position.

Critical Race Theory and Gender Ideology:

• Prohibits funding for “gender affirming” care for minors and critical race theory. 
• Institutes a freeze on the hiring of any new DEI personnel. 

Supporting Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary

I led a coalition of thirty-two veterans in Congress in endorsing Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense in a letter to U.S. Senate leadership expressing our support for his nomination.

As a decorated combat veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, Pete offers an authentic understanding of modern warfare. We need a Secretary of Defense who will refocus our military on lethality and readiness while recruiting the force of tomorrow. Read more about the letter in Fox News here or below.

SEVEN Act

I joined Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14) in introducing the Securing Every Vector, Enhancing Networks (SEVEN) Act. This legislation is designed to strengthen America's defenses against cyber threats targeting the Signaling System 7 (SS7). The SS7 is responsible for call routing, billing, and messaging for thousands of Americans.

Our adversaries around the globe are exploiting vulnerabilities in the digital backbone of our telecommunications infrastructure to spy on everyday Americans. The SEVEN Act will ensure the safety of U.S. networks by establishing a dedicated task force to address this issue head-on. Read the full bill here.

Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.

Rep. August Pfluger

Member of Congress