On Tuesday, the FBI arrested a Dearborn-native connected to ISIS who launched a drone in an attempt to attack a U.S. Army facility in Warren. In response to the incident, State Representatives Will Bruck (R-Erie) and Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens) emphasized the importance of the work of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Foreign Influence.

“For weeks, our committee has been learning more about drone technology and their capabilities, and Tuesday’s incident shows exactly why this work is so important,” said Mentzer, the Minority Vice Chair of the committee. “With drones quickly becoming one of the most utilized weapons of war, our committee’s interest in this topic appears to be both very timely and absolutely essential.”

In its last two meetings, the Homeland Security and Foreign Influence Subcommittee heard from multiple experts on drone operations. Bruck, who chairs the committee, also recently hosted a symposium on drone technology, where lawmakers, experts, and stakeholders met and discussed how best to regulate drone use and limit the potential for foreign adversaries to abuse them.

Bruck also spearheaded a recently passed legislative plan meant to curb efforts by specific foreign countries of concern to increase their influence and undermine homeland security. Iraq and Syria, the two countries with large territories subject to ISIS control, were both among the foreign countries of concern listed in the bill package.

“Michigan is home to a multitude of critical infrastructure sites and military installations like the one involved in the thwarted attack on Tuesday,” Bruck said. “A state-level safety net is vital to preventing future attacks by adversarial foreign countries or entities under their control. We should not wait until one of these attacks actually succeeds to finally take this issue seriously. We should implement a robust plan to address foreign threats now. Although this may not be on everyone’s minds right now, it soon will be once a planned attack is successful.”