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Norton Says White House Drone Incident Highlights Need for Further Regulation

January 26, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, today said that federal agencies need to clarify existing federal policy specifying that drones and other unmanned aircraft may not be flown in the National Mall area, including the White House grounds.

"The Secret Service cannot handle the threat of drones without further Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations that update the interpretation of the no-fly zone to include such unmanned aircraft," Norton said. "A National Park Service (NPS) regulation prohibits operation of such aircraft within President's Park unless approved by the NPS Liaison to the White House, but other unnamed drones of any kind being flown in the immediate area of the White House grounds need to be further defined by the FAA."

Norton was particularly concerned of the terrorist threat these unmanned aircraft represent, citing District of Columbia and U.S. Capitol Police reports on incidents that occurred last summer involving unmanned aircraft on the Capitol complex and in Freedom Plaza, located within a few blocks of the White House. There is an existing permanent no-fly zone spanning three miles around the White House, but that policy was designed for larger aircraft operated by a pilot. More than 20 million people travel to Washington, D.C. every year.