Tuesday, August Pfluger (R-TX), Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence and Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) led the Subcommittee members in calling for a briefing from NORAD and DHS on the possible compromising of homeland equities by the Chinese surveillance balloon that infiltrated U.S. airspace for several days in early February and was capable of conducting intelligence collection operations.

In a letter to NORAD Commander General Glen D. VanHerck and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas the Members wrote, “North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)’s primary mission is to conduct airspace warning operations, airspace control, and maritime warning in the defense of North America. As we learned on that fateful day in September 2001, airspace control and defense is a critical pillar in securing our nation against foreign threats. Since the Committee’s founding in 2005 it has worked tirelessly to identify and deter homeland threats, secure our borders, and provide oversight over the Department of Homeland Security.”

The Members continued, “Given the pertinent homeland equities involved in the Chinese surveillance balloon incident, it is unacceptable that we learned about these incidents through news reports. As a co-equal branch of the government, Congress deserves candid answers as to why these incursions have taken place and understand the steps the Executive Branch is taking to mitigate these threats in the future.”

Read the full letter to General VanHerck and Secretary Mayorkas here.