The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena, often called «UAPs» or «UFOs,» next week, Rep. Tim Burchett announced at a news conference Thursday.
Burchett, R-Tenn., said the committee will hear testimony from three witnesses: David Grusch, a former US intelligence official; David Braver, former Commandant of the Navy; and ryan graves, a former Navy pilot. Both Graves and Braver claim to have detected UAP, Burchett said, and Grusch has claimed that the United States has recovered «intact and partially intact«vehicles of non-human origin.
The Tennessee Republican said the hearing will take place on Wednesday, July 26 at 10 am ET.
Burchett and other lawmakers at the press conference, including Florida Reps. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, and Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican, have accused defense officials of obstructing congressional investigations into UFOs: in an interview with NBC News Last week, Burchett claimed that one of the committee’s previous witnesses will not testify «due to pressure from the Pentagon.»
Burchett said he wants the federal government to release UFO-related records, adding that witnesses at next week’s hearing «will speak frankly to the public about their experiences.»
A Pentagon spokesman did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
Debates over possible UFO sightings have garnered increased attention in recent years, particularly on Capitol Hill.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, DV.A., told reporters Thursday that he will be «interested to hear» what will be said at next week’s hearing, adding that in the case of his committee itself, «we try to deal with all complainants. with seriousness and respect.»
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., and Sen. Mike Rounds, RS.D., introduced an amendment to the annual defense policy bill that would seek to declassify records related to ufos. In May, a NASA panel tasked with studying UFO reports said the stigma associated with reporting UFO sightings, as well as harassment of people who work to investigate them, may be hampering efforts to determine their origins.
UFOs are often synonymous with aliens in popular culture, but an initial Pentagon report issued in 2021 found no evidence linking the unidentified objects to extraterrestrial life. The Defense Department has received hundreds of UFO reports in recent years, and many of them appear to be balloons or drones, according to a 2022 report. report of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Liz Brown-Kaiser contributed.