Lawmakers discuss UFOs, lack of information on taxpayer spending on investigations in Washington

WASHINGTON — Members of Congress heard from witnesses at a hearing on Wednesday about “UFO disclosure.”

The fresh testimony on the phenomenon, officially classified as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) but known to most as Unidentified Flying Objects, was focused less on the investigation of their existence itself, and more on how taxpayers are paying to learn more about them.

Channel 2 Washington Correspondent Kirstin Garriss was in Washington, where lawmakers heard testimony about transparency regarding how the Department of Defense and intelligence community share information about UAP investigations, and a lack of disclosures about spending on the issue.

At the hearing, Dr. Tim Gallaudet, a retired Rear Admiral from the U.S. Navy, gave testimony about some of the findings.

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“The now declassified video showed an unidentified object exhibiting flight and structural characteristics unlike anything in our arsenal,” Gallaudet told Congress.

However, other retired military and former DOD officials testified to lawmakers about the high level of secrecy in the intelligence community surrounding these encounters.

“Excessive secrecy has led to grave misdeeds against loyal civil servants, military personnel and the public, all to hide the fact that we are not alone in the cosmos,” Luis Elizondo, a former DOD official, told lawmakers Wednesday.

Elizondo told members of Congress that he has faced intimidation because of his work involving UAPs.

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“This includes unwarranted criminal investigations, harassment and efforts to destroy one’s credibility,” Elizondo said.

Both Democrats and Republicans are now demanding more transparency from the agencies involved in investigating UAPs. They’re also concnerd about the lack of disclosures regarding how taxpayer dollars are spent on examining the issue.

“If it’s really no big deal and there’s nothing there, why hide it from the American people?” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said.

Similarly, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Cali.) said the hearing on Wednesday “and others” were about “the truth, getting to the facts.”

Experts say one solution to the secrecy is breaking down the stigma around UAPs.

“NASA personnel stepping forward and participating in such discussion would make a powerful statement to the scientific community that UAPs should be taken seriously and researched accordingly,” Michael Gold, former NASA Associate Administrator of Space Policy and Partnerships, said.

Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed legislation that would make it easier for pilots and other aviation workers to report UAPs. The bill would require the Federal Aviation Administration to collect the data, then study any possible threats to national security.

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