WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Some members of Congress received a classified briefing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) Friday, though many told NewsNation they were far from clarity about the U.S.’s encounters with them.
“I’m more concerned than I was going into the (secure meeting room), and I think that they have a lot of questions that remain unanswered,” Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois told NewsNation.
Some lawmakers have called for increased transparency, and the outcome of this briefing could contribute to them learning more about the government’s knowledge on the matter.
“I think what most of the American people fear is true — is that the government — there’s a concerted effort to conceal as much information as possible, both from Congress and to the general public,” said Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee.
Thomas A. Monheim, the inspector general of the intelligence community, briefed the House Oversight Committee after a surge in UAP interest last year.
This was not the first briefing lawmakers have gotten on UAPs, but Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., among others, has expressed frustration at what he calls a lack of transparency. Burchett believes the Pentagon is holding back even in the briefings.
Lawmakers’ responses have varied — some expressed satisfaction with the information the intelligence community shared and said it provided some clarity. Others shared a different perspective, raising concerns about the intelligence community supposedly withholding information on UAPs.
One lawmaker went as far as to describe a “concerted effort to conceal” information about UAPS.
“There is a movement, whether it’s within the Intelligence Community or not, to prevent us from finding out more information on this,” said Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida. “So, we are going to do what we need to do as investigators to continue to pull on whatever strings and see where they lead.”
According to briefing notes obtained by NewsNation, lawmakers asked about allegations raised by Air Force veteran, David Grusch, who, as a whistleblower, shared exclusive details with NewsNation before testifying in Congress.
Grusch brought his concerns, including classified information, to the inspector general that couldn’t be disclosed publicly.
In his NewsNation interview, Grusch claimed the government has recovered non-human spacecraft of exotic origin. He claims he’s seen evidence of a secret UFO crash retrieval program.
Friday’s briefing allowed lawmakers to speak one-on-one with Monheim about those claims and what’s been done to further investigate them.
Luna told NewsNation that she believes Grusch to be a credible witness and plans to invite him back to Capitol Hill for more conversations about his claims.
“Mr. Grush has made allegations that we’re still trying to figure out the veracity of and we haven’t gotten the answers that we need,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Garcia called the intelligence officers “serious professionals” navigating a very serious topic, and he’s supported what they shared.
Friday’s hearing follows bipartisan efforts of Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc. who introduced a bill to encourage commercial pilots to report sightings of UAPs.
The effort aims to promote safe airspace for Americans by encouraging pilots to report any potential sightings to the government. It would also require the Federal Aviation Administration to relay all reports to the Department of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office.
If passed, the bill will enable civilian aircrew, FAA air traffic controllers, flight attendants, maintenance workers, dispatchers and airlines to report UAP encounters to the FAA. These reports will allow the FAA and DOD to investigate potential threats to the nation’s airspace.
