Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) is calling on federal government leaders to declassify all documents related to unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), arguing federal agencies must be transparent if they are going to be funding millions of dollars.
Burchett, a member of the House Oversight Committee, introduced the UAP Transparency Act last week. The act would require the U.S. president to direct all federal agencies and departments to make all documents on UAPs available to the public within 270 days. It would also mandate that the president provide a quarterly report to the House on the progress agencies are making to declassify these records.
“Our federal government’s many departments tell us they [UAPs] don’t exist, yet they’re still being funding tens of millions of dollars,” Burchett said Monday on NewsNation’s “The Hill on NewsNation.” “And our own Pentagon, who has not passed an audit in the history of audits literally, cannot account for over a half a trillion dollars.”
The Pentagon failed its annual audit for the sixth year in a row last year after auditors found that half of its assets could not be accounted for.
“Now, we’re spending this money on something, we’re $35 trillion in debt…every hundred days, we add another trillion dollars to our deficit,” Burchett added. “Look, it’s not about little green men or flying saucers, it’s what are we spending this damn money on? It’s ridiculous.”
The Tennesse Republican pointed to reports from “qualified people” and anecdotes he has heard from former admirals about potential UAP sightings, arguing the public can make its own conclusions about the information if declassified.
“Just tell us what it is. We don’t care,” he said, adding later, “All it’s going to say is this universe is a lot bigger than we give it credit for. We’re one grain of sand on a million beaches. Give us the information. Let us decide.”
Burchett has been a vocal advocate for increasing transparency around UAPs ever since a July House hearing when three former Defense Department officials testified on their experience with the phenomenon, warning that the sightings could pose national security risks.
A bipartisan coalition including Burchett, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) — a group that calls itself the UAP Caucus — has vowed to increase transparency on the topic.
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