Congressional leaders to get top-level briefing on Chinese spy flight fiasco

Congressional leaders are poised to person a top-level briefing connected nan intelligence gathered from nan suspected Chinese spy balloon — which was said to beryllium carrying sensors and surveillance instrumentality — arsenic good arsenic President Biden's determination to sprout it down.

The briefing is expected to see nan Gang of Eight, comprised of nan chairs and ranking members of nan House and Senate intelligence committees and statement activity from some chambers. Republicans connected Capitol Hill person demanded a person look astatine Biden's decision-making passim past week, which saw nan Chinese balloon transverse nan full continental United States earlier being changeable down.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., besides requested a Gang of Eight gathering connected nan balloon this weekend.

Democrats successful Congress person praised Biden's handling of nan incident, however, arguing that waiting to sprout down nan trade complete h2o was nan safest option. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who will be this week's briefing, dismissed Republican complaints arsenic "breathless, governmental and premature."

The Biden management has based on that nan U.S. gained important intelligence connected nan trade by allowing it to transit nan U.S.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has dismissed Republican concerns astir China's spy balloon. (Elizabeth Frantz/Pool via AP)

"The bottommost statement present is that shooting down nan balloon complete h2o wasn’t conscionable nan safest option, but it was nan 1 that maximized our intel gain," Schumer said astatine a Sunday property conference.

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Most GOP complaints subordinate to nan Biden administration's hold successful notifying nan nationalist that nan surveillance balloon was successful U.S. airspace. They besides mobility what intelligence nan trade whitethorn person been capable to stitchery during its flight, though nan Pentagon has stated that it acted to limit nan craft's intelligence gathering ability.

"The Biden management reportedly learned of nan CCP spy balloon connected January 28th – astir a week earlier residents successful Montana spotted nan balloon loitering complete their state. It’s clear nan Biden management had hoped to hide this nationalist information nonaccomplishment from Congress and nan American people," wrote House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala. 

"Now, nan White House must supply answers astir why they decided to let a CCP spy balloon to transverse nan United States and what harm to our nationalist information occurred from this decision. The United States must task spot to deter China – this nonaccomplishment is different illustration of weakness by nan Biden administration," he continued.

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to nan water aft being changeable down disconnected nan seashore successful Surfside Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 4, 2023. (Reuters/Randall Hill)

Possible debris believed to beryllium from nan Chinese spy balloon changeable down disconnected nan seashore of South Carolina.

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The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard are moving to retrieve debris from nan balloon disconnected nan seashore of South Carolina. One imaginable information of nan trade was spotted successful subject custody astatine a vessel ramp successful Myrtle Beach connected Sunday.