House votes 419-0 to condemn China for its spy balloon

In a rare moment of sweeping bipartisanship, the House voted 419-0 on Thursday to condemn China for flying a spy balloon over the United States.

The balloon was able to drift over the country for three days before it was shot down on the east coast.

The measure was introduced by House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul of Texas.

It required two-thirds support to pass and was able to earn every single Democratic and Republican vote in a remarkable show of bipartisanship.

Republicans are also highly critical of the handling of the spy balloon by President Joe Biden's administration, claiming Americans should have been alerted of the balloon sooner and that it should have been immediately shot down.

The House voted 419-0 in rare show of bipartisanship to condemn China for its spy balloon – shown here after it was shot down by the U.S. military over the ocean near Surfside Beach, South Carolina

Debris from the balloon was recovered after it was shot down into the ocean off the east coast of South Carolina. Among debris was antennas and solar panels, according to U.S. officials

GOP leaders have considered also introducing a resolution to condemn Biden for how he handled the spay balloon entering U.S. air space. 

China has maintained its stance that the vessel was a weather balloon that went astray, and was not a 'spy balloon,' like alleged.

However, antennas and solar panels were found among the recovered debris of the balloon after it was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean last week, a US official said on Thursday.

A State Department update shows American intelligence has uncovered Beijing has a vast surveillance network spanning 40 countries.

The balloons, it is now revealed by a senior State official, are capable of 'conducting signals intelligence collection operations,' which have amounted to a violation of American sovereignty.

U.S. intelligence has linked the programs directly to China's principle military force – the People's Liberation Army (PLA).