Government Oversight

“I am proud to say that this hearing builds upon bipartisan work by Members of the House and Senate dating many years back which is sought to increase awareness within the Department of Defense and more—and to mandate more of Congress of UAPs.”

“I hear over and over from many agencies the stigma around reporting and investigating UAPs prevents us from getting real answers.”

“As Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, I know my job would be completely impossible if whistleblowers or others feel intimidated to come before this Committee. We cannot be afraid of asking questions and we cannot be afraid of the truth.”

“Members of both parties and senior officials in multiple administrations have taken an interest in this issue and we are proud to carry and build that confidence in the American people.”

“If people cannot report incidents which would have national security or safety implications, then that also has serious consequences for us.”

“I do want to thank all the Members of our Subcommittee today and also those that are here and have waived on for their incredible interest in this issue, particularly to Congressman Burchett. I know that your leadership has brought us to this place today and I want to thank him for that as well as everyone else that has been engaged in this work.”

“It is really important that we are here in a bipartisan way to have this conversation which really to the heart of it is about national security and key to the Subcommittee's core purpose.”

“But this hearing will offer the public unique perspectives, building on years of reporting by both Federal agencies and the independent media.”

“Now, it is very important that we show that Democrats and Republicans in Congress can come together in a bipartisan way to cut through misinformation and to look at the facts in a serious and thoughtful manner.”

“If we are to advance oversight and public disclosure, we must also gain the broad support of the public. We will succeed getting facts out to the public faster if there is a broad public support as part of the process.”

“The enormous interest in the hearing today underscores the importance of a fair and open look at the evidence from witnesses who can share their unique perspectives.”

“Now, the sheer number of reports, whistleblowers, and stories of unidentified anomalous phenomena should raise real questions and warrant investigation and oversight and that is why we are here today.”

“We should encourage more reporting, not less, on UAPs. The more that we understand, the safer we will be.”

“I believe in openness and transparency. That is also the role of Congress, and I want to trust that the American people will be able to weigh the evidence and make up their own minds.”

“This hearing will also not be the end of the discussion but a new chapter and start to years and years of work that many folks both in the public and within government have been working on.”

“Now, I know I certainly have a lot of questions. I know that all the Members of our Committee do as well. We should come to this hearing with an open mind, and we should not let our existing ideas restrict us on either side.”

“I encourage all of my colleagues to engage with these difficult questions with an open mind and to follow the facts on behalf of our country.”

“We cannot be afraid of asking questions and we cannot be afraid of the truth.”

“I think an open mind is absolutely the best.”