After some lawmakers insisted that the Biden administration provide more details about the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the United States this past week before being shot down by the U.S. military on Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Sunday that senators will receive a classified briefing on the matter on Feb. 15, The Hill reported.

A classified briefing for all senators concerning the Chinese threat in general had previously been scheduled for that date, before news of the balloon was made public, according to NBC News.

Schumer added that the Gang of Eight bipartisan group of leaders who are given classified briefings was expected to be briefed as early as Tuesday.

Republicans have criticized the administration for allowing the balloon to fly over much of the U.S. before finally shooting it down, but Schumer defended that decision.

"Republican critics were breathless, political, and premature," Schumer said at a press conference in New York. "President [Joe] Biden and his team were calm, calculating, and effective."