White House presses Congress for drone powers ahead of World Cup, Olympics

The White House is pressing lawmakers to give the administration more power to take down aerial drones in domestic airspace in advance of the U.S. hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic games, according to three people involved in ongoing negotiations.

The push to attach the measure to a must-pass defense policy bill in the coming weeks is facing resistance on Capitol Hill, including from the Senate Commerce Committee led by Sen. Ted Cruz, amid concerns the proposal constitutes federal overreach. The Commerce panel has jurisdiction over aviation affairs.

Draft legislation floated by the White House and obtained by POLITICO would give agencies including the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice new authority to take counter-drone measures for “large scale public gatherings or events, critical infrastructure or correctional facilities.” The proposal would also broaden “counter-drone authority” for state and local law enforcement.

Under current law, federal agencies are empowered to intervene against drone threats only when specific, high-risk facilities, including government operations and power plants, are deemed to be at risk.

The push comes as the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees are trying to finalize the text of the defense bill by early next week. Spokespeople for the Republican chairs and top Democrats on the committees did not respond to requests for comment.

The White House request of Congress is the administration’s latest move to ramp up security ahead of the World Cup and Olympic games. The administration announced earlier this month it was launching a $500 million program to help state and local governments develop anti-drone strategies ahead of the events as well as any celebrations that might take place around the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“This is an important issue we must address as we prepare for global events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, and we need to ensure proper authorities are in place to protect the American people,” said a House GOP leadership aide granted anonymity to discuss the negotiations.

A White House official granted anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations said the White House Office of Legislative Affairs has been working on legislative language and circulating related proposals among congressional offices since September. The administration has been working closely with Speaker Mike Johnson’s office on the legislative draft and has also engaged with Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office, according to the official.

“It’s something that the admin feels is extremely important given particularly all of the events of the next year,” the White House official said. “Having a strong strong event infrastructure and drone counter-measures is very important.”

It’s unclear if Congress will adopt the plan. A person granted anonymity to discuss private negotiations said Senate Commerce views the draft provision as an “extremely problematic” power grab that would give federal security officials too much leeway in determining how best to “protect the public."

Phoebe Keller, a spokesperson for Cruz on the Commerce Committee, said in a statement, “We are happy to work with the administration on this proposal and any suggestion to the contrary is simply untrue."

Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican on Senate Commerce, also supports tougher counter-drone legislation. Kansas City, Mo., is scheduled to host six World Cup matches next year.

“Unauthorized drones pose a clear risk to Americans and our homeland, and it’s time Congress acts and shows more urgency,” Schmitt spokesperson Rachel Dumke said in a statement. “Senator Schmitt looks forward to continuing to work with his colleagues to find a path forward.”