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On February 15, 2023, Senators left a classified briefing with more questions than answers about the three unidentified flying objects that the military shot down over the weekend. The briefing was attended by members of both parties, along with Biden administration officials, who were seeking more information about the origin of the unidentified objects.
While the certainty ends at the fact that the objects were not aliens, Senators have raised concerns about the lack of transparency from the White House regarding the incident. In the absence of complete information, Senate Republicans have urged President Joe Biden to address the nation directly on the matter. Meanwhile, some Democrats have indicated that the administration could be doing more to provide information to the public.
During the briefing, the Senators were informed that the downing of the unidentified objects has been going on for years, with the exception of the Chinese spy balloon. The Senators were also told that apart from the Chinese spy balloon, officials do not know what the unidentified objects are, where they are coming from, or who is behind them.
The lack of information has led to speculation and concerns among Senators, who have been demanding more transparency from the White House. “The most troublesome aspect is: What’s going on? Where are they coming from? Who is behind them? We get weather balloons, we understand weather balloons. But if it’s not weather balloons, what are they? Who is sending them? That bothers me,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Even before the public knew about the three newest unidentified objects, Department of Defense officials were in contact over the weekend with Senators from states over which they flew. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) recalled in a brief interview the alarming call she got on Sunday afternoon from the Department of Defense, which gave her the mysterious play-by-play as the object hovered over Michigan. She wasn’t alone in being “kept informed, every step” — both Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) heard from the administration before it publicly disclosed the object.
During the briefing, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin summarized the situation, saying, “It answered a lot of questions and raised a lot of questions.” He suggested that there is a need for more information and transparency from the Biden administration.
The latest developments will almost certainly spur calls for the U.S. to get tougher on Beijing. Following a classified briefing on the Chinese spy balloon, GOP and Democratic lawmakers emerged requesting additional information.
In conclusion, the downing of the three unidentified objects has left Senators with more questions than answers. The lack of information from the White House has led to speculation and concerns among Senators, who are calling for more transparency from the Biden administration. The latest developments will almost certainly spur calls for the U.S. to get tougher on Beijing, and more information is needed to determine the origin and nature of these unidentified objects.
