In response to the recent concern around drone activity in New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration has banned drone flights over 22 communities that spanned the entire state.

Those include three of the state's largest cities, Camden, Jersey City and Elizabeth.

The ban will be in place for one month.

And according to the FAA, it was requested by federal security partners to prevent flights over critical infrastructure, including Picatinny Arsenal and the Trump Golf Resort in Bedminster.

Meanwhile, the FAA is also warning that the panic over alleged drone sightings has coincided with a surge in powerful lasers being pointed at aircraft, which is illegal and potentially dangerous.

Laser incidents in New Jersey have increased 269% so far in December.

That's compared to the same time period last year, and that's according to the FAA.

WASHINGTON DC correspondent Ben Hulac has been following all of this drone issue.

He has more on how lawmakers from New Jersey are responding, along with all the latest from the nation's capitol.

Ben, great to see you.

No shortage of news to talk about this week.

When we look at the drone situation.

We've heard from countless lawmakers in DC from New Jersey calling on the federal government to take action.

We actually spoke to Congressman Josh Gottheimer earlier this week who told us about his radar act that he introduced.

We also know that New York Senator Chuck Schumer introduced a similar bill in the Senate.

What can you tell us about what they're calling for?

Is there any kind of thread that ties or tie that binds here?

Those bills in particular have unless they're folded into some sort of year end spending package, they really have no shot at passing.

They haven't been vetted or voted on any sort of serious way.

The I would point out there is a bipartisan bill that would become law this Congress.

There's about a week left in the year.

So it has to act fast.

Congress will have to act fast, rather.

That would give federal authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security, more power to regulate drones.

But in general, it's sort of a cat and mouse game with the industry and the government and industry is really a bit farther ahead than the government in regulating drones.

I would also underscore there are a lot of recreational drone users out there, likely don't know that they have to register their drones with the FAA.

And also just the experts I've spoken with say the vast preponderance of things in the sky are likely safely operated aircraft.

Yeah, that's what we're hearing, even as the FAA did put in those restrictions over certain areas in particular over New Jersey.

But we are hearing that kind of unified call that this is very likely commercial, along with other other drones that are allowed to be in the sky.

But if we could just switch gears completely.

As of midday yesterday, it looked like there was bipartisan agreement on a spending bill that that could pass.

And by this morning, it is all done.

It's a done deal.

Can you tell us what happened and and why Republicans are opposed to this bipartisan deal?

Right.

A lot a lot can change.

And it's here on Capitol Hill.

You're right.

So the just yesterday was there was a deal.

Republicans, Democrats of both chambers had reached to keep the government funded through mid-March of next year.

And sort of at the 11th hour, the incoming administration, Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance plus Elon Musk, their advisor, sat through this curveball and said, we want to lift the debt ceiling as part of this end of year spending deal.

That is a separate element.

That's really a separate topic from spending.

Just to put it in context for viewers.

The debt ceiling, as they've announced, is not actually the debt the U.S. is issuing.

It is lifting the debt ceiling allows the federal government to pay its bills.

The amount it can borrow.

Right, to pay its bills.

That's right.

So Congress sets that long such that ceiling, I should say, on how much money the the government can borrow.

And that ceiling will hit basically right when the new Congress comes back in January.

So right now, it's really a shambles.

And this has thrown months of work from both parties really into the trash.

And I would put it this way, Joanna.

There is a in general reporters gets sort of little updated memos from the majority whips office that the person who sets the agenda for the House every day, the agenda for today was TBD.

So it's all shaping up.

As about where we are with our government right now and knowing if there's going to be a shutdown.

Right.

TBD, we know the deadline is midnight tomorrow going into Saturday.

Just very quickly, what happens if there is a government shutdown?

I, I would make two quick points.

One is that after these these orders that Congress backs and self into on spending, they often find an 11th hour way to get out of them.

So it's quite possible there is no shutdown.

But that that the chances of a shutdown clearly increased yesterday if there is a shutdown.

Very good rule of thumb for standing shutdown is that things protecting people and property would not be affected.

So that means TSA would keep running, but non-essential services would be closed and people, federal workers would not be paid.

And a lot of Americans workers are going.

Yeah, well, Ben Hulac, Washington, D.C. correspondent.

It is all TBD, as you said.

Thank you so much.