The United States House of Representatives is demanding that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel explain to Congress details pertaining to any domestic spying missions conducted by Pentagon-operated surveillance drones.
The House voted this week on a lengthy appropriations bill that, tucked deep within, contained a provision ordering the Department of Defense to disclose information about a little-known drone program that could be collecting images of unknowing Americans.
Citing heightened concerns over the aircraft, the House approved a measure that said in part that the secretary of defense must report on the policies and procedures in place within the military regarding the collection and usage of data picked up by Pentagon surveillance drones. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the president, Sec. Hagel will have 90 days to submit a report to Congress explaining what policies and procedures are in place across the military to ensure that the constitutional rights of Americans are not violated by any Pentagon drones flown in America.
