WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to provide clarity to the American people, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is demanding swift clarification from the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) following conflicting accounts surrounding the abrupt closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas.

Earlier today, the FAA announced the immediate closure of the El Paso airspace for 10 days, citing “special security reasons” – a move unprecedented since the September 11, 2001 attacks – before the decision was rescinded just hours later. The Trump Administration stated that the closure was due to the incursion of drones operated by suspected drug cartels, but subsequent reporting indicates the closure may have been caused by disagreements between the DOD and FAA about the testing of U.S. counter-drone weapons in the vicinity of civilian aircraft.

Senator Reed issued the following statement in response:

“The airspace closure over El Paso triggered immediate chaos and confusion and cannot be dismissed as a minor misunderstanding. A ten-day shutdown of a major U.S. air corridor is an extraordinary step that demands a clear and consistent explanation. The conflicting accounts coming from different parts of the federal government only deepen public concern and raise serious questions about coordination and decision-making.”

Reed is seeking a full accounting of what occurred in U.S. airspace, whether proper safety protocols were followed, and why public communications appear to have been inconsistent. He emphasized that Congress has a responsibility to conduct thorough oversight and ensure that the DOD, DOT, and FAA are acting in close coordination.

“The Department of Defense and the FAA must immediately present the facts, reconcile these discrepancies, and assure the American people that airspace security decisions are being made responsibly, transparently, and with public safety as the highest priority,” Reed said.

In 2024, Senator Reed and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, penned an op-ed in The Washington Post addressing the threat of drone incursions to U.S. national security. In the op-ed, Senators Reed and Wicker responded to a number of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) incidents, including airspace violations near U.S. military bases, and examined the bureaucratic, legal, and material challenges for the United States’ response to this evolving threat.