Indiana Democrat Representative Andre Carson will chair a congressional hearing on UFOs.
This is the first public hearing on the topic in 50 years.
Carson says it’s important to address because a small percentage of sightings can’t be explained away by weather events or aircrafts. He say that unknown could pose a threat to national security.
“Well, there is still so much to learn about UAPs and the potential risks they may pose to our national security. The Intelligence Committee has a very important role to play in analyzing reports and gathering information. Ahead of the hearing, I met with [Under] Secretary [of Defense for Intelligence & Security Ronald] Moultrie, and we wanted to encourage the declassification of additional videos of military encounters, many of which we conceal on YouTube and other platforms,” said Congressman Carson.
The Pentagon actually calls these events UAP or Unexplained Aerial Phenomena.
The hearing comes after a declassified report revealed the government investigated more than 140 UAP incidents since 2004.
Carson says for a long time this issue wasn’t taken seriously and pushed aside and put into a science fiction category, but now it’s time to change that.
“You know, UAPs have really captured the imagination of the American public along with those of us in the national security world. It’s a very critical subject for Congress to examine and I think the American people really expect and deserve their leaders in government and the intel committee to seriously evaluate and respond to any potential security risks, especially the ones that we don’t fully understand.”
The report that came out didn’t list outer space or alien life as a possible explanation for the UAPs but it didn’t explicitly rule it out either.
“Folks have asked, should Congress be spending time on UFOs? Absolutely so, we have a physical responsibility, we have a fiduciary duty, and these unidentified phenomena have potential national security risks. They are great public interest, and they have caused consternation among individuals who have experienced these events and it’s our responsibility on the committee and the community to ensure that the investigations are rigorous.”
Carson says the public hearing, scheduled for 9 a.m., is also a way to increase transparency about the topic. There will also be a classified meeting after the public one.
Here is a link for more information on the meetings. The public meeting will be streamed here.
