Were you aware that there is a group of over fifty (50) members of the U.S. Congress who have banded together to increase the use of drones ("unmanned aerial vehicles")? They are all members of the
Unmanned Systems Caucus. The Congressional drones caucus is full of excitement about the opportunities for profit, as well as for the protection of the military contractors and bases in their districts.
Where is the caucus for members of Congress who want to protect
people -- and guard against the dangers of drones? It's time for us to recognize the urgency of this problem, and start to demand that congressmen/women either take a stand with us in opposing drones or step aside and make room for those who will.
Below is a map showing the districts of current members of the Congressional drones caucus, followed by a state-by-state discussion of the drones situation. An important reference for everyone is the
letter sent to Congressman Michael Turner of Ohio: this is a model of the kind of public pressure that can be put on supporters of drone killing and drone surveillance in Congress.
Alabama
Alabama congressman Mo Brooks is a member of the drones caucus.
Alabama has two (2) bases that have been approved for drone basing by the Dept. of Defense.
Notably, Fort Rucker in Alabama is home to the
U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence -- the brain trust for the strategy of proliferating drones throughout the U.S. army.
Alaska
Alaska congressman Don Young is a member of the drones caucus.
Alaska has three (3) bases that have been approved for drone basing by the Dept. of Defense.
An article in the
Alaska Dispatch --
Unmanned aerial drones the future of Arctic reconnaissance? -- says "H.R. 658, the FAA reauthorization bill, mandates that the FAA must designate six UAV test ranges in U.S. airspace within about six months. But a special clause, and the one most important to Alaska, will designate portions of airspace from the Aleutian Islands to the North Slope for 24-hour UAV use 'for research and commercial purposes.' The amendment was written by Alaska Sen. Mark Begich, with the University of Alaska Unmanned Aircraft Program in mind. That program, based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, has been on the cutting-edge of UAV technology, thanks to Alaska's myriad uses for the science."
Arizona
Arizona congressmen Paul Gosar and Trent Franks are members of the drones caucus.
Arizona has six (6) bases that have been approved for drone basing by the Dept. of Defense.
(NOTE: Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Arkansas
California
There are twelve (12) California members of Congress who belong to the drones caucus.
California has an extremely high concentration of military contractors, including
the maker of the Predator and Reaper drones, General Atomics -- and has
eighteen (18) military bases that have been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing -- the highest count in the nation.
(NOTE: Six California congressman/women were signers of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Colorado
Connecticut
Congressman Joe Courtney of Connecticut is a member of the drones caucus.
Delaware
Florida
Congressmen Ander Crenshaw and Thomas Rooney of Florida are members of the drones caucus.
Florida is
home to drone contractors like Raytheon, and there are
nine (9) Florida bases that have been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
Georgia
(NOTE: Georgia Congressmen John Lewis and Henry C. “Hank” Johnson were signers of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use. In addition,
Georgia congressman Austin Scott sponsored legislation to rein in domestic drone use (HR5925).)
Hawaii
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii is a member of the drones caucus.
Kaneohe Bay and Wheeler in Hawaii have both been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
Idaho
Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho is a member of the drones caucus.
Boise has been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
Illinois
(NOTE: Illinois Congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr., and Luis Gutierrez were signers of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Indiana
Indiana congressman Rep. Larry Bucshon is a member of the drones caucus.
Indianapolis is home to a major drones contractor -- Raytheon -- and Indiana has two bases (Camp Atterby, Jefferson Range) that have been approved for drone basing by the Dept. of Defense.
Iowa
Kansas
Congressman Mike Pomeo of Kansas is a member of the drones caucus.
Fort Riley, Kansas, has been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
Kansas State University launched a bachelor’s degree program in operating drones, and
currently operates about a dozen drones.
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Congressman Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland is a member of the drones caucus.
Maryland is home to two bases approved for drone basing, and was the site of a drone crash in June, 2012.
Maryland has also been the site of protests against the drone research at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
(NOTE: Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Massachusetts
(NOTE: Massachusetts Congressman James P. McGovern was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Michigan
Two members of Congress from Michigan are members of the drones caucus: Mike Rogers and Candice Miller.
The University of Michigan is one of 25 universities authorized to fly unarmed drones.
(NOTE: Michigan Congressman John Conyers was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Minnesota
(NOTE: Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Mississippi
Congressman Steven Palazzo of Mississippi is a member of the drones caucus.
Two sites in Mississippi have been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
Mississippi is also the
U.S. base for the Israeli company Stark Aerospace, a drone maker.
Missouri
Two members of Congress from Missouri are members of the drones caucus: Todd Akin and Vicky Hartzler.
Missouri has been the focus of drone protests, since
Wightman Air Force Base near Kansas City is a center for controlling drone flights around the world.
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
Two members of Congress from Nevada are members of the drones caucus: Joe Heck and Shelley Berkley.
Nevada is the site of one of the major drone control operations in the United States -- Creech Air Force Base -- and
the killing being directed from Creech has been the object of frequent protests and the subject of a high-profile trial.
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Jersey congressman Rep. Frank LoBiondo is a member of the drones caucus. Read about the
work of New Jersey activists to protest Rep. LoBiondo's participation in the drones caucus.
(NOTE: New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
New Mexico
Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico is a member of the drone caucus.
There are five (5) bases in New Mexico that have been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing. Holloman Air Force Base was the subject of a widely-discussed article that appeared in the
New York Times in July, 2012:
"The Drone Zone.
The airspace over Colorado and New Mexico is highly contested. For full information, see the website of the organization
Not 1 More Acre! The website describes resistance to efforts by the Pentagon with Joint Forces Special Operations (Air Force, Army and Marines) and its contractors to militarize all of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico for mega-billion dollar Joint Forces high-tech development, testing and training programs dedicated to robotic warfare for world-wide military operations.
New Mexico State University’s Physical Science Laboratory (PSL) established a UAV Technical Analysis and Applications Center (TAAC) in 1999.
New York
Four members of the New York State congressional delegation belong to the drones caucus: Edolphus Towns, Maurice Hinchey, Richard Hanna, and Anne Marie Buerkle.
New York State has long been the focus of drone protests, particularly by the
Upstate NY Coalition to Ground the Drones, and the
Hancock 38 action, the protest against drone operations directed from Hancock Air Force Base near Syracuse.
(NOTE: New York congressional representatives Charles Rangel, Jerrold Nadler, and Yvette D. Clark -- in addition to the above-mentioned Maurice Hinchey! -- were signers of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
North Carolina
(NOTE: North Carolina Congressman Walter B. Jones was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
North Dakota
Congressman Rick Berg of North Dakota is a member of the drones caucus.
Grand Forks AFB and Devils Lake in North Dakota have been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing. There have been reports of
airspace restrictions due to drone testing in the Devils Lake area. The
University of North Dakota is a center for drone design and training, with an adjunct Tech School (training on maintenance and repair) in Thief River Falls, MN.
Ohio
Congressmen Michael Turner (3rd district) and Steve Austria (7th district) are members of the drone caucus.
Turner's district includes Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton. (See the
letter sent to Congressman Michael Turner of Ohio.) There is
additional information on Ohio drone basing plans on the No Drones Ohio website.
(NOTE: Oregon Congressman Dennis Kucinich organized a
June 12, 2012, letter signed by 26 members of Congress calling on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma congressmen Dan Boren and Tom Cole are members of the drone caucus.
Two (2) bases in Oklahoma have been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
Small unmanned aircraft systems will be tested to help first responders deal with natural disasters and other emergencies in the restricted air space over Fort Sill; according to some accounts,
Oklahoma is vying to become the "Detroit of drones."
Oregon
(NOTE: Oregon Congressman Peter A. DeFazio was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Pennsylvania
Congressman Robert Brady of Pennsylvania is a member of the drones caucus.
Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania has been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina is a member of the drones caucus.
There are two bases in South Carolina approved by the Dept. of Defense for drones basing.
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
There are
seven (7) Texas members of Congress who belong to the drones caucus. Texas has
seven military bases that have been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
(NOTE: Texas Congressman Ron Paul was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Utah
Congressman Rob Bishop of Utah is a member of the drones caucus.
Utah has two sites approved by the Dept. of Defense for drones basing, including the famous
Dugway Proving Grounds.
Researchers at Utah State University are also doing drone research.
Vermont
(NOTE: Vermont Congressman Peter Welch was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Virginia
Two members of Congress from Virginia belong to the drones caucus: Robert Wittman, from the 1st Congressional District (near Newport News), and Gerald Connolly, from the 11th District (Fairfax County and the area around Washington, D.C.).
Virginia has a high concentration of military contractors and military bases.
Six Virginia military bases that have been approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
Washington
Rep. Norman Dicks of Washington is a member of the drones caucus.
In addition to being the site of manufacturing operations for military contractors like Boeing,
Washington State is also the location of three (3) bases approved by the Dept. of Defense for drone basing.
(NOTE: Washington Congressman Jim McDermott was a signer of
the June, 2012, Kucinich letter that called on the Obama administration to address questions about its drones use.)
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia
Wisconsin
(Read the correspondence between members of No Drones Wisconsin and
Wisconsin congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on the drones question.)
Wyoming
CHICAGO: Taking the NO DRONES! Message to the Masses at Chicago's Air & Water Show: "As we sit here in comfort, and ooh and ahh over these war machines, it's important that we remember, that when the rest of the world hears these sounds, it means that their lives may soon be ending." (Read more . . . . )
WISCONSIN: Welcome to Oshkosh! (got drones?): David Soumis and Lars Prip from No Drones Wisconsin greeted visitors to the largest airshow in the country -- EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin* -- on Saturday, July 28, with the 1/5-size replica of a Reaper drone (which the recently obtained from Know Drones) and signs that said "Flight Emergency: A Drone Impacting Your Aircraft," "Fly Safe in U.S. Airspace: NO DRONES," and "No Drone Eyes in Our Skies." (Read more . . . . )
OHIO: Ohio Congressman Michael Turner: Stop the Drones!: The following is a letter to Congressman Michael Turner, who represents Ohio's 3rd congressional district. It was sent in connection with a visit to Rep. Turner's office on Friday, September 14, part of the Know Drones tour of the Dayton/Springfield/Columbus area. (Read more . . . . )
INDIANAPOLIS: My visits to Pakistan and Kurdistan: JoAnne Lingle of Indianapolis on the Code Pink peace delegation to Pakistan: "We want to reach out to the people there to show that we care about their lives; we want to show the American public how civilians are being targeted by drones; we want to come back to the US and tell the stories of drone victims. Our larger goal is to stop the drone strikes." (Read more . . . . )
MISSOURI: September 10: Put the Drones on Trial! Join Ramsey Clark, Kathy Kelly, Ann Wright and Bill Quigley: The defendants, Ron Faust of Kansas City and Brian Terrell of Maloy, Iowa, participated in the April 15 “Trifecta Resista” protest at Missouri’s Whiteman Air Force Base, from where killer drones engage in combat in Afghanistan by remote control. The protest at Whiteman is one of many in response to the US government’s increasing use of drones in recent years, but the trial in Jefferson City is the first time that charges have been filed not in local courts but in US District Court. (Read more . . . . )
CHARLOTTE: DNC Ends, NC Drone Protests Accelerate: Chapel Hill, Durham and Beyond: The week of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Charlotte was marked by protests against drones -- both in Charlotte itself, in Chicago (the site of Obama 2012 campaign headquarters), and in other locations. (Read more . . . . )
INDIANA: A Drone Tragedy Revealed in Indiana: Mr. Robert Rast's son, Navy corpsman Benjamin Rast, was killed accidentally in a Reaper drone strike in Afghanistan in April 2011; that strike also killed Marine Staff Sergeant Jeremy Smith. Robert Rast has set the replica up in his front yard and sits with it, telling those who stop what happened to his son. (Read more . . . . )
