Chairwoman Mace (01:43):
Okay. All right. Good morning. This joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation and the Subcommittee on National Security, The Border, and Foreign Affairs will come to order. Good morning and welcome everyone. Without objection, the chair may declare a recess at any time, and I recognize myself for the purpose of making an opening statement right now. Good morning and welcome to today's historic hearing, which I'm co-chairing with Mr. Grothman, whose Subcommittee held an important hearing on this topic last year. I want to thank my colleagues on the oversight committee, including Mr. Burchett, Mr. Burlison, Ms. Luna Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Garcia for their relentless drive to get answers on UAPs. They've been steadfast in demanding transparency on the sightings reported by military pilots and armed forces. Their commitment to digging for the truth is exactly what this country needs to cut through the secrecy surrounding this issue, and many high-ranking individuals in the military and intelligence communities believe UAPs demand greater attention, and thus the purpose for this hearing today. Former National Security advisor, H.R. McMaster, said on Bill Maher's program that, "There are phenomena that have been witnessed by multiple people that are just inexplicable by the science available to us." Army Colonel Karl Nell, a member of the Federal Government UAP Task Force said at a conference this past May that non-human intelligence exists, non-human intelligence has been interacting with humanity. This interaction is not new and it's been ongoing and there are unelected people in the government that are aware of that. But UAPs remain a controversial topic. I'm not going to name names, but there are certain individuals who didn't want this hearing to happen because they feared what might be disclosed. But we stood firm, no amount of outside pressure would ever keep me from pursuing is subject to ground come hell or high water.
(03:54)
On that score, I want to thank our witnesses for being here. We have before us a panel of individuals accomplished in the military, in civilian government, in science, and in journalism. Some of the testimony you will hear them deliver today does not reflect well on influential individuals and agencies within the U.S. Federal Government and perhaps some of our contractors. It's never easy to present such information publicly so I appreciate our witnesses voluntarily agreeing to being here today. This hearing is attending to help Congress and the American people to learn the extent of the programs and activities our government has engaged in with respect to UAPs and what knowledge it has yielded. This includes, of course, any knowledge of extraterrestrial life or technology of non-human origin. If government-funded research on UAPs has not yielded any useful knowledge, we also need to know those facts.
(04:53)
Taxpayers deserve to know how much has it been invested, how much has been spent. They shouldn't be kept in the dark to spare the Pentagon a little bit of embarrassment. The reality is despite their enormous taxpayer-funded budgets, the transparency of the defense department and the intelligence community have long been abysmal. The Pentagon has failed six consecutive audits. In fact, it's never actually passed one. Adding to this is as a runaway over classification of documents and materials, a reluctance to declassify materials when appropriate, and at times an outright refusal to share critical information with Congress. In short, it's not a track record that instills trust. So Congress has tried in recent years to lift the veil and find out if information about UAPs is being withheld, not only from the American public but also from their elected representatives in Congress. Part of the transparency effort was legislation created in the Pentagon, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, but the new office is struggling to get its footing.
(06:06)
A recent statute orally required report from AARO intended to illuminate the government's historic assessment of UAPs was heavily criticized by those seeking UAP transparency. The report has stoked suspicions AARO is unable or perhaps unwilling to bring forward the truth about the government's activities concerning UAPs. I'm disturbed that AARO itself lacks transparency, even its budget is kept from the public. So if there is no "There to there" then why are we spending money on it and by how much? Why the secrecy? If it's really no big deal and there's nothing there, why hide it from the American people? Because I'm not a mathematician but I can tell you that doesn't add up. I expect some of our witnesses to share their views on that AARO report, we will also hear from the witnesses today allegations of UAP related misinformation and disinformation by government officials, of which they're personally aware, and directly experience, and we'll hear testimony today concerning recent revelations about a purportedly secret UAP program whose existence and findings may have been improperly withheld from Congress.
(07:22)
But before we get to the witnesses, we're going to have a few more opening statements from our colleagues. And one thing I wanted to add at the end of my closing statement is there is a document that will be entered into the congressional record today. Mr. Tim Burchett from Tennessee has this document, and we just distributed it to every member up here on the dais of this document, but this is going to be the original document from the Pentagon about Immaculate Constellation that Michael Shellenberger delivered to Congress today. So thank you, Mr. Shellenberger, for this information, we are all reading it in real time now and Mr. Burchett will enter it into the record, but 12 pages about this unacknowledged special access program that your government says does not exist.
(08:13)
So with that, I would acknowledge my colleagues Mr. Garcia. I want to say first of all to Mr. Connolly who cannot be here today, the ranking member on my subcommittee on cybersecurity, I want to say that I was greatly saddened to hear about the recent news of Mr. Connolly's cancer diagnosis and I want to convey to him and to all of our colleagues, we wish our very best to you and a full and speedy recovery. And with that, I would acknowledge Mr. Garcia for five minutes.
Mr. Garcia (08:41):
Thank you very much, Chairwoman. I want to thank the Chairwoman and the Chairman both for their continued support and really treating this discussion and these hearings in a way that's bipartisan. I think one thing that's very important for all of us that are interested in the conversation around UAPs is that this is an area that both Republicans and Democrats, and while we may disagree in a lot of other spaces, this is an area where bipartisanship is really important, and in fact I would add its critical that we all continue to work together in a way that moves forward with the truth and important disclosure. So we're here to have a bipartisan and serious conversation I believe about our national security. We should always ground these conversations in facts, evidence, and the data in front of us. I want to note that we have our witnesses here, and want to thank you all for being here, and note that also amongst you, you have folks that have also served us in our military, and I know that for many of you this has been a difficult process but I'm very grateful to have you with us today and thank you for joining us.
(09:43)
I also want to note that today's hearing builds on a quite, I think also historic public hearing that we had many months ago that Mr. Grothman and others helped lead in this very same hearing room where I believe we began a really important public conversation about UAPs, and so I want to thank him for that and I especially want to thank Chairwoman Mace for her continued advocacy on this topic. I also want to start with some facts. We know that there are objects are phenomena observed in our airspace, as your witnesses will testify, and also possibly in our oceans. In many cases we don't know what they are, and this is of course why we're discussing UAPs. Now the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, AARO, has reported hundreds of UAPs that remain "Uncharacterized and unattributed" and which "Appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities and require further analysis." This is our own AARO office.
(10:39)
Now we shouldn't prejudge what they might be, I'm certainly not going to, we need evidence, but we are detecting things and we know that we don't understand them and this is worth investigating. Now the American people have legitimate questions and I believe it's critical that Congress should help address them. This is about the truth and science and facts. Now transparency and faith in our institutions is vital in a good democracy. Now I'm proud to say that this hearing will build on that important bipartisan work and I want to thank everyone for being involved, including members of our committee. Now in our last hearing in July, we heard testimony that significant number of pilots of major airlines have witnessed UAPs as well, but have no real confidential way of reporting them to the government. We heard that commercial pilots who encounter UAPs may be hesitant to speak openly due to stigma or fear of retaliation.
(11:27)
We also know that AARO has reported that, and I want to quote, " That most reports still reflect a bias towards restricted military airspace, a result of reporting from military personnel and sensors present in such areas." And so the lack of ability for civilian pilots raises real safety concerns and limits our ability to understand UAPs. This is a particular piece of this conversation that I'm very interested in. Now, our last hearing inspired us to introduce the Safe Airspace for Americans Act joined by Chairman Grothman, Chairwoman Mace, and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors. I see some of our leaders from Safe Airspace for Americans Act here and that would create a safe reporting for UAP process which we want to continue to do. Now members of both parties and senior officials in multiple administrations have now taken an interest in this issue, mainstream media in many cases are beginning to take more of an interest in this issue and we should all be proud to carry that work and build confidence for the American people.
(12:24)
I believe we can always be more transparent. To me, this hearing and others are simply about the truth and getting to the facts of what these UAPs actually are. It's very important that we show that Democrats and Republicans in Congress can work together to cut through misinformation and look for a serious and thoughtful way to have the discussion in public. Many of us have also called for additional public hearings to discuss UAPs. This should be a topic that continues on throughout the Congress so that we can gather more information, data, and work with the relevant agencies to gather more information. Finally, I just want to add that those that are here on this dais, many of us have participated also in classified briefings as well, where we have also gained a lot of important, I think, and interesting information, at least I personally have. And so with that information, we want to continue today's hearing and I thank all of our witnesses for being here. And with that, I'd like to yield back.
Chairwoman Mace (13:20):
Thank you Mr. Garcia and I'd now like to recognize Mr. Grothman for a five-minute introduction.
Mr. Grothman (13:26):
Thank you. Good morning, I'd like to thank our witnesses for being here one more time, this is a topic I've been interested in since eighth grade. I'd like to thank Ms. Mace for working with me on this topic and for making this a joint subcommittee hearing. Last year, the Subcommittee on National Security, The Board and Foreign Affairs held a historic hearing to understand the potential national security risk of unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs. We heard from former Navy Commander, David Fravor, who shared firsthand experience with the UAP engaged while on duty in the Pacific. We learned from David Grusch, a former member of the intelligence community revealed the supposed existence of secret government programs hidden from congressional oversight. Additionally, former military pilot, Ryan Graves informed us of the limited ways in which the military and commercial pilots can report UAP sightings. Since that last hearings, I've led several briefings with government agencies to deepen my understanding of these issues.
(14:25)
First, the Department of Defense Inspector General's Office informed us that the Department of Defense does not have a streamlined process for service members to report UAP activity. Since then, the Joint Chiefs have implemented standards for UAP reporting across the services. The Intelligence Community Inspector General informed us that whistleblowers often fear retaliation for reporting mismanagement of highly sensitive government projects or information. Finally, AARO has expressed to the committee that like any other federal government agency, it's faced challenges in its establishment, specifically in hiring staff to manage UAP historical records and coordinating with other federal agencies. While these agencies have been helpful to us in understanding the challenges that come from collecting UAP data, none of them have been able to substantiate the claims made at this hearing last year by David Grusch despite our committee members endlessly questioning these agencies inside and outside of a SCIF. I hope our witnesses today will be able to provide evidence and content that is worthwhile to our pursuits of eliminating government waste and increasing transparency to help alleviate some of the roadblocks.
(15:37)
I'm supportive of measures that were included in last year's National Defense Authorization Act to increase transparency and improve record-keeping measures when it comes to UAPs, but I believe there's still more work to go. I co-led the Safe Airspace for Americans Act with Ranking Member Garcia, which requires the Federal Aviation Administration to develop procedures to collect UAP data from civilian aviators. I look forward to working with members of Congress to see that this legislation and other UAP legislation crosses the finish line. I'm deeply alarmed by the reporting of the massive drone swarm that flew over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia last December. Langley is the home of the first fighter wing which maintains half of the F22's in the U.S. Air Force Inventory. Reports of this incident indicate these drones were roughly 20 feet long, flying more than a hundred miles an hour in an altitude of over 3000 feet yet the origin of these drones and their operators remains a mystery.
(16:45)
This incident and other sightings near sensitive military installations highlights the complexity of the UAP challenge facing our Intelligence, Defense, and Homeland Security committees. Whether these phenomena are the result of foreign adversaries developing advanced technologies or something else entirely, we must take them seriously, investigate them thoroughly, and assess their implications on national defense. The repeated UAP sightings around sensitive military sites underscores the need for innovative defensive strategies beyond traditional measures. They also highlight the urgent need for updated policies to address emerging threats as well as more effective inter-agency cooperation and intelligence sharing. However, none of this is going to be possible without transparency.
(17:36)
For far too long, critical information about UAPs has been either classified or ignored, leaving the American public and key congressmen without clarity needed to make informed decisions. Declassifying reports and fostering a more open dialogue about UAPs will not only increase the public trust but also encourage collaboration between government, the scientific community, and our allies. Quite frankly, there's been things that have been kept secret that is I think old enough that there is no reason it shouldn't be released, regardless of any so-called private information. A transparent approach will allow us to share insights, identify patterns, and develop new strategic defenses. As we continue to investigate these phenomena, we must do so with a mindset of protecting our country, advancing scientific discovery, and upholding the trust of the American people, who right now I don't think have trust and it it's just obvious I don't have trust. We cannot shy away from the unknown, especially when the stakes are so high. I look forward to discussing these matters with the witnesses today. I'm hopeful we can learn from the testimony and come out of this hearing with actionable ideas to advance UAP transparency. Actually the idea is just to say in my mind, go back 15 years and everything has to be released. I'm hopeful that we can learn from their testimony to come out of this hearing. And with that, I yield back.
Chairwoman Mace (19:08):
Thank you. I will now recognize Mr. Moskowitz for a five-minute introduction.
Mr. Moskowitz (19:13):
Thank you Chairwoman, good morning, everyone. I first want to thank the Chairs and Ranking members for holding the hearing today on this topic and again having a second hearing. I want to thank the witnesses for coming forward today to share your expertise on UAPs and the need to build trust through transparency. But first I want to mention you might be wondering why Chairman Comer has allowed me to be a Ranking Member today, but it's really only because our dear friend, Gerry Connolly, is not here. As Chairwoman Mace mentioned, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and all of us on this committee know Gerry, and he's a fighter, and we're praying for him and hoping for his speedy recovery. So today's hearing marks this Committee's second meeting dedicated to UAP transparency. I was pleased, as I know all of us are, on the bipartisanship that existed in last year's hearing and even though we can't talk about what happens in the classified settings, the bipartisanship that has existed in those settings with the questions members have asked.
(20:22)
Last year's hearing was a great example of open dialogue about UAPs and we must remain committed to sharing information with the American people, and I think you see that commitment based on the people here and the commitment across the political spectrum. I personally have worked with multiple members of this committee, but I want to particularly thank Congressman Burchett, Mace, Luna, and Garcia for working on pieces of legislation. In recent years, Congress has taken numerous bipartisan steps towards greater transparency. In 2022 in the NDAA, we created the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office to investigate unidentified flying objects. Following, AARO, along with ODNI, released an unclassified report on UAP sightings. Of the 366 sightings included in the report, 171 remain uncharacterized, with some of these appearing to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities. That's a nice way of saying, "We don't want to tell you what they are."
(21:25)
In March, AARO revealed a report on the historical record of U.S. government involvement with UAPs which covered investigatory efforts going back from 1945 to the present day. Earlier this year, I joined Congressman Burchett to introduce the UAP Transparency Act, which would require the declassification of all documents relating to UAPs with many other members of this committee. In fiscal year 2024, the NDAA required the National Archives and Records Administration to establish the Unidentified Anonymous Phenomena Records Collection. This collection will include digital copies of all unidentified UAP records that can be publicly disclosed. This commitment is in transparency, is vitally important, and unnecessary over-classification has led to a void of information, which has allowed theories over the decades to foster.
(22:16)
When the American people and members of Congress ask, "Are reports of UAPs credible? We're met with stonewalling, we're met with responses of, "I can't tell you." And in fact we're met with people not wanting us to have hearings, we're met with people not wanting us to ask you questions. In fact, many of us we're told not to ask some of you certain questions on certain topics. In a time of heightened distrust of our government institutions, I believe more transparency is not only needed but is possible. And obviously we can respect national security limits but we also have to provide our constituents with the information and oversight that they have tasked us for. As part of this, government agencies must maintain open lines of communication with members of Congress. And there are regular questions that Americans have. What are UAPs? Are they real? Are they ours? How has this technology been developed? How do they get funded?
(23:23)
And now we've seen this has gone from a long time ago where you could discredit people because it's some guy living in a Winnebago. You're you're able to see people now, these are pilots, these are military, these are folks with serious backgrounds, this has changed the face of this because now we have video, people will have questions. We know there are advanced technology programs. Almost 15 years ago, one of those came out of Area 51 to go after Osama bin Laden, and the only reason we know about that is because one of those helicopters was downed. Americans have questions about whistleblowers who have come forward to talk about retribution, and so I want to thank everyone for being involved today on trying to get more transparency. This has been bipartisan, bicameral, and as we get into a new administration, the President-elect has talked about opportunities to declassify information on UAPs and I hope he lives up to that promise. And with that, I yield back.
Chairwoman Mace (24:31):
Okay, thank you Mr. Moskowitz, and I would now, committee staff ask me to go ahead and I will do it to enter into the Congressional record, this twelve-page document that Michael Shellenberger brought today that describes the Immaculate Constellation Government Program. So we will do that now, every member up here has a copy of it. The first section talks about the unacknowledged special access program called Immaculate Constellation and the second section about USG Imagery Intelligence, and Representative Luna just told me if I say "Immaculate Constellation." I'll be on some list. Maybe a FISA warrant so come at me bro, I guess, but without objection, entered in the record. All right, so next we will introduce our witnesses for today's hearing. Thank you so much for being here. Our first witness is Retired Rear Admiral, Tim Gallaudet, who retired from the US Navy and is now the Chief Executive Officer at Ocean STL Consulting, our second witness is Mr. Lue Elizondo, a former Department of Defense official and author of a recent bestseller book about UAPs, our third witness is Mr. Michael Shellenberger, founder of the newsletter, Public, and author of a recent journalistic piece about special access programs including one widely identified as Immaculate Constellation, I swear the staff wants me on a list. Okay, and our last witness today is Mr. Michael Gold, a former NASA official who is also a member of the NASA UAP Independent Study Team.
(26:02)
Welcome everyone, we are pleased to have you today. Pursuant to committee Rule 9(G), the witnesses will please stand and raise your right hands. This is where it gets real. Do you solemnly swear to affirm that the testimony that you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Let the record show that the witnesses all answered in the affirmative. We appreciate all of you being here today and look forward to your testimony. Let me remind the witnesses that we have read your written statements and they will appear in full in the hearing record. You guys may be seated. Please limit your oral statements to five minutes. As a reminder, please press the button in front of you so the microphone is turned on so that everyone in the room, members included, can hear you. When you begin to speak, the light in front of you will turn green, after four minutes the light will turn yellow. When the red light comes on, your five minutes has expired and we would ask that you please wrap it up. So I'll first recognize Rear Admiral Gallaudet to please begin your opening remarks.
Mr. Gallaudet (27:05):
Thank you, Chairwoman Mace, Chairman Grothman, Ranking Members Connolly and Garcia, and members of the committee. Thank you for this opportunity to testify today regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP. Confirmation that UAPs are real came to me in January of 2015 when I was serving as the commander of the Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Command. At the time, my personnel were participating in a pre-deployment naval exercise off the US East coast. It included the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, and this exercise was overseen by the United States Fleet Forces Command led by a four-star Admiral who at the time was also my superior officer. During this exercise, I received an email in Navy Secure Network from the operations officer of US Fleet Forces Command. The email is addressed to all the subordinate commanders and the subject line read in all capital letters, "Urgent safety of flight issue."
(27:59)
The text of the email was brief but alarming, with words to the effect, "If any of you know what these are, tell me ASAP. We are having multiple near mid-air collisions and if we do not resolve this soon, we are going to have to shut down the exercise." Attached to the email is what is now known as the "GoFast video" captured on the forward-looking infrared sensor of one of the Navy FA-18 aircraft participating in the exercise. The now declassified video showed an unidentified object exhibiting flight and structural characteristics unlike anything in our arsenal. The implication of the email was clear, the author was asking whether any of the recipients were aware of classified technology demonstrations that could explain these objects. Because the DOD policy is to rigorously de-conflict such demonstrations with live exercises, I was confident this was not the case. The very next day that email disappeared from my account and those of the other recipients without explanation.
(28:58)
Moreover, the commander of Fleet Forces Command and the operations officer never discussed the subject. Even during weekly meetings, specifically designed to address issues affecting exercises like the one in which the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group was participating. This lack of follow-up was very concerning to me. As the Navy's Chief Neurologist at the time, I was responsible for reducing safety of flight risks yet it appeared to me that no one at the flag officer level was addressing the safety risk posed by UAPs. Instead, pilots were left to mitigate these threats on their own without guidance or support. I concluded that the UAP information must have been classified within a special access program managed by an intelligence agency that is a compartment program that even senior officials, including myself, were not read into.
(29:46)
Last year's UAP hearing before this oversight committee confirmed that UAP related information is being withheld from senior officials and members of Congress. And just this week, I learned from former DOD official, Chris Mellon, that satellite imagery of UAP from a few years ago still has not been shared with Congress. Equally concerning, last year's UAP hearing also revealed that elements of the government are engaged in a disinformation campaign to include personal attacks designed to discredit UAP whistleblowers. Having never signed a non-disclosure agreement regarding UAPs, and now as a private citizen, I've become an advocate for greater UAP transparency from the government. The continued over-classification surrounding UAPs has not only hindered our ability to effectively address these phenomena, but has also eroded trust in our institutions. While I applaud previous bipartisan legislation passed by Congress concerning UAPs, a more comprehensive approach is needed to address the broader implication of UAP on public safety and national security, as well as the socio-economic opportunities that open UAP research could unlock. Therefore, I recommend Congress take the following action, which I believe will receive bipartisan support.
(30:57)
First, establish robust oversight of the executive branch's management of UAP information by directing key officials, beginning with the director of the DOD's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office to provide comprehensive briefings on what the government knows about UAP and does not know. Two, enact the provisions of the UAP Disclosure Act that establish a UAP Records Review Board to ensure independent oversight, transparency, and accountability in the government's handling of UAP information. And three, strengthen the UAP Disclosure Act and future reauthorizations with provisions that mandate a whole-of-government approach to addressing UAP. In closing, I will share my personal reasons for speaking out on this topic. First, as a former science agency leader, having led the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, I've always sought the truth in human knowledge and thought. Now that we know UAP are interacting with humanity, and these include unidentified submerged objects in the ocean, we should not turn a blind eye, but instead boldly face this new reality and learn from it.
(31:56)
Additionally, at a time when leaders in government leave much to be desired, I feel obligated to show moral leadership on this issue of UAP disclosure by validating the credibility of the courageous men and women who've come out as witnesses and whistleblowers to expose the truth. My speaking out has encouraged others to do the same, and it's my hope over time that a number of your constituents will want to know the truth about UAP and this number will increase to such an extent that the congressional action I've just recommended will become inevitable. Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
Chairwoman Mace (32:31):
Thank you. I will now recognize Mr. Elizondo for his opening statement.
Mr. Elizondo (32:36):
Greetings, Chairwoman Mace, Chairman Grothman, Ranking Members Connolly and Garcia, and members of the committee. It is my honor and privilege to testify before you on the issue of unidentified anomalous phenomenon, formerly known as UFOs. On behalf of our brave men and women in uniform and across the intelligence community, as well as my fellow Americans who have awaited this day, thank you for your leadership on this important matter. Let me
Luis Elizondo (33:00):
… be clear, UAP are real. Advanced technologies not made by our government or any other government are monitoring sensitive military installations around the globe. Furthermore, the US is in possession of UAP technologies as are some of our adversaries. I believe we are in the midst of a multi-decade secretive arms race, one funded by misallocated taxpayer dollars and hidden from our elected representatives and oversight bodies. For many years, I was entrusted with protecting some of our nation's most sensitive programs. In my last position, I managed a special access program on behalf of the White House and the National Security Council. As such, I appreciate the need to protect certain sensitive intelligence and military information. I consider my oath to protect secrets as sacred and I will always put the safety of the American people first. With that said, I also understand the consequences of excessive secrecy and stove piping.
(33:54)
Nowhere was this more apparent than in the aftermath of 9/11 which many of us remember all too well. I believe that America's greatness depends on three elements. A, a watchful congress; B, a responsive executive branch; and C, an informed public. Over the last decade and a half, I learned that certain UAP programs were and are operating without any of these elements. Although much of my government work on the UAP subject still remains classified, 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.
(34:34)
A small cadre within our own government involved in the UAP topic has created a culture of suppression and intimidation that I've personally been victim to along with many of my former colleagues. This includes unwarranted criminal investigations, harassment and efforts to destroy one's credibility. Most Americans would be shocked to learn that the Pentagon's very own public affairs office openly employs a professional psychological operations officer as the singular point of contact for any UAP-related inquiries from citizens and the media. This is unacceptable.
(35:08)
Many of my former colleagues and I have provided classified testimony to both the Department of Defense and the intelligence community, Inspector General, and many of us have subsequently been targeted by this cabal with threats to our careers, our security clearances, and even our lives. This is not hyperbole, but a genuine fact and this is wrong. To fix these problems, I propose three principle actions. First, Congress and the president should create a single point of contact responsible for a whole-of-government approach to the UAP issue.
(35:39)
Currently, the White House, CIA, NASA, the Pentagon, Department of Energy and others play a role, but no one seems to be in charge leading to unchecked power and corruption. Second, we need a national UAP strategy that will promote transparency and help restore the American public's trust at a time when the public's trust is at an all-time low. This strategy should include a whole-of-government approach, including the academic and scientific communities, the private sector, and our international partners and allies.
(36:06)
Third, congress should create a protected environment so whistleblowers desperate to do the right thing can come forward without fear. As it currently stands, these whistleblowers suffer because of stigma, a code of silence and concerns about retaliation. These whistleblowers should be encouraged to come forward in ways that protect them against any forms of retaliation. Policies and procedures should ensure that protection and for those who refuse to cooperate is up to the members of this committee and the other lawmakers to wield their subpoena power against hostile witnesses and prevent additional government funding to those UAP efforts that remain hidden from congressional oversight.
(36:42)
In closing, we as Americans have never been afraid of a challenge. In fact, we thrive on them. Whether it's eradicating polio or going to the moon. We don't run from a challenge, we take it head on. To the incoming administration in Congress, I say to you, we need immediate public transparency, and this hearing is an important step on that journey. If we approach the UAP topic in the same way as Americans have met other challenges, we can restore our faith in our government institutions.
(37:10)
Together we can usher in a new era of accountable government and scientific discovery. I believe that we as Americans can handle the truth and I also believe the world deserves the truth. Thank you esteemed members of Congress for your time today. It is profoundly appreciated by many.
Nancy Mace (37:28):
Thank you. I ask unanimous consent for Representatives Ogles of Tennessee and Boebert of Colorado to be waived onto the subcommittee for today's joint subcommittee hearing for the purpose of asking questions without objections so ordered. I would now like to recognize Mr. Shellenberger for his introductory remarks.
Michael Shellenberger (37:44):
Chairwoman Mace, Chairman Grothman, Ranking Member Connolly, Ranking Member Garcia, members of the subcommittees, thank you for inviting my testimony. One of Congress's most important responsibilities is oversight of the executive branch in general and the military and intelligence community in particular. Unfortunately, there is a growing body of evidence that the US government is not being transparent about what it knows about unidentified anomalous phenomena and that elements within the military and the IC are in violation of their constitutional duty to notify Congress of their operations.
(38:17)
President-elect Donald Trump and former president Barack Obama have both said that the government has information about UAPs that it has not released. There are other explanations for UAPs that they represent a new form of life or non-human life. Current dominant alternative theories, including those put forward by AARO, are that UAPs are some kind of natural phenomena we don't yet understand like ball lightning or plasma. They could also be part of some new US or foreign government weapons program such as drones, aircraft, balloons, CGI, hoaxes or birds.
(38:53)
Whatever UAPs are, Congress must be informed as must the people of the United States, we have a right to know what UAPs are no matter what they are. However, we now have existing and former US government officials who have told Congress that AARO and the Pentagon have broken the law by not revealing a significant body of information about UAPs, including military intelligence, databases that have evidence of their existence as physical craft. One of those individuals is a current or former US government official acting as a UAP whistleblower.
(39:26)
This person has written a report. This is the report that says the executive branch has been managing UAP, NHI issues without congressional knowledge oversight or authorization for some time, quite possibly decades. Furthermore, these individuals have revealed the name of an active and highly secretive DOD Unacknowledged Special Access Program or USAP. The source of that document told public, me that the USAP is a strategic intelligence program that is part of the US military family of longstanding highly sensitive programs dealing with various aspects of the UAP problem.
(40:01)
The new UAP whistleblower claims that the US military and IC database includes videos and images taken using infrared, forward-looking infrared full motion video, and still photography. The report that was just shared with Congress says Immaculate Constellation serves as a central or parent USAP that consolidates observations of UAPs by both tasked and untasked collection platforms. Immaculate Constellation includes high quality imagery intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence of UAPs, the whistleblower's report adds.
(40:31)
The sources of this intelligence are a blend of directed and incidental collection capacities, capabilities, position in low earth orbit, the upper atmosphere as well as military and civilian aviation altitudes and marine time environments. The report to Congress details in detail various UAPs including spheres, orbs, disks, saucers, ovals, triangles, boomerang, arrowhead and irregular organic.
(40:53)
Report describes various incidents found in the human intelligence databases. One involved orbs surrounding and enforcing an F-22 out of its patrol area. In another incident, the crew of a Navy aircraft carrier watched a small orange-red sphere rapidly descend from a high altitude of 100 to 200 yards directly above the flight deck of the CVN or aircraft carrier. And since my reporting on this Immaculate Constellation last month, another source came forward who told me that they saw a roughly 13-minute long high-definition, full-color video of a white orb UAP coming out of the ocean approximately 20 miles off the coast of Kuwait.
(41:28)
It was filmed from a helicopter. Then halfway through the video, the person said the orb is joined by another orb that briefly comes into the frame from the left before rapidly moving again out of the frame. The person discovered the video on SIPR, the Secure Internet Protocol Router Network, which the DOD uses to transmit classified information.
(41:47)
A leading UAP researcher who utilizes the Freedom of Information Act to find out what the government knows, John Greenwald told me last year that the US government had been increasingly denying his request for UAP information. He has been doing FOIA requests for 27 years and has an archive of 3 million pages. The government has for decades denied any interest in UFOs. He told me, but the documents that he has assembled show that behind the scenes it was a completely different story.
(42:13)
Contrary to the hopes of many advocates of transparency, the government has been restricting more information since the leak of three UAP videos in 2017. The DOD organization AARO has been labeling many documents with a B7 exemption which Greenwald says does not make any sense. They're stating that anything AARO does is involved in law enforcement investigation, which allows AARO to not release it.
(42:34)
Greenwald says the DOD has denied the existence of a UAP and AATIP-related records on multiple occasions only to acknowledge them after an appeal was filed. He added that the Naval Air Systems command in March 2022 stated they found no additional UAP videos. It seemed strange that they had three and only those three, but other requests had been filed by The Black Vault. That's John Greenwald's group to seek out more places UAPs might be hiding.
(42:58)
Then in September 2022, the Navy admitted that the UAP-related videos and photographs existed, but denied the request in full for their release saying that the requested videos contain sensitive information that are classified and exempt from disclosure. "The DOD will deny things on a Monday and then admit to it on a Friday," said Greenwald. He said, "The government can and does release videos that protect secret methods of capturing it. They fall back on the sensitive platform excuse a lot," he said. "However, the on-screen information can be blurred and scrubbed. The metadata can be removed." I'll show you this example here. This is a presentation from the UAP Task Force. This is completely absurd. It's nuts. This level of censorship of redaction on a document. It shows the redaction of how many reports they've collected for how many years. Two of the three potential explanations are blacked out. The Pentagon, the intelligence community is treating us like children. It's time for us to know the truth about this. I think that we can handle it. Thank you very much.
Nancy Mace (44:01):
Thank you. I would now like to recognize Mr. Gold for five minutes.
Mike Gold (44:06):
Thank you, Chairwoman Mace, Chairman Grothman, ranking members, Connolly and Garcia, Representative Moskowitz and distinguished members of both subcommittees. I'm grateful to all of you as well as your intrepid staff for the opportunity to testify and would like to begin by discussing courage. Courage is what it takes to tackle this topic and courage in the face of adversity is what I see in front of me, beside me and behind me. Per my introduction, I'm currently the chief growth officer at Redwire Space and have had several leadership positions at NASA. That being said, I want to be clear that I'm speaking exclusively on my own behalf and not for Redwire, NASA or any other organization. However, I am here today to speak out for science. Science requires data which should be collected without bias or prejudice. Yet, whenever the topic of UAP arises, those who wish to explore the phenomena are often confronted with resistance and ridicule.
(45:01)
For example, members of the NASA UAP independent study team, particularly those in academia, were mocked and even threatened for simply having the temerity to engage in the study of UAP. Our best tool for unlocking the mystery of UAP is science, but we cannot conduct a proper inquiry if the stigma is so overwhelming that just daring to be part of a NASA research team elicits such a vitriolic response. Therefore, one of the most important actions that can be taken relative to exposing the truth of UAP is to combat the stigma. And this is where I believe that NASA can be eminently helpful.
(45:42)
The NASA brand is synonymous with hope, optimism, and credibility. If you were to take a walk down the national mall, you would immediately see the NASA logo on T-shirts, hats, and bumper stickers. Few federal agencies enjoy this kind of popularity. I've never seen anyone wearing an Office of Personnel Management T-shirt, which is why NASA could play such an influential role.
(46:03)
Specifically NASA could with relatively little cost and effort host symposium on UAP or even just participate in existing panels, examining the topic. NASA personnel stepping forward and participating in such discussions would make a powerful statement to the scientific community that UAP should be taken seriously and researched accordingly. In regard to research, NASA has vast archives, much of which may contain important UAP data.
(46:34)
Again, for relatively little cost and effort, NASA could create an AI or ML algorithm that could search the agency's archives for anomalous phenomena. I suspect that such an effort would not only result in information that will help us to understand UAP, but could result in data that will assist in other areas of scientific inquiry such as anomalous weather or meteorite activity. Beyond its existing archives, NASA could act as a clearinghouse for civilian and commercial UAP data.
(47:01)
During my work on the UAP independent study team, it quickly became evident that there is no clear or well-publicized process for civilian pilots to report UAP sightings.
(47:11)
The stigma associated with UAP hampers the number of pilots that would report such phenomena, but even for those who overcome the stigma, I believe the current FAA guidance is largely unknown and poorly understood. In order to effectively collect UAP data, the independent study team recommended the use of NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System or ASRS. This system, which is administered by NASA and funded by the FAA provides a confidential means for the reporting of safety violations in a voluntary and non-punitive manner.
(47:43)
Over 47 years, the ASRS has collected nearly 2 million reports. ASRS is the perfect tool to collect UAP data, which could then be collated by NASA and shared with the public at large. Leveraging ASRS could create a treasure trove of UAP data, potentially hundreds of thousands of reports supporting this hearing's goal of exposing the truth. And I'm grateful to our two co-chairs and other members who have already incorporated this idea into proposed legislation.
(48:11)
At this hearing and as others have demonstrated, the UAP issue is justifiably dominated by national security and defense. However, I would urge the subcommittees to keep in mind the numerous ways that NASA and the FAA as well as commercial activities in the air, in space and in the water can generate a massive amount of invaluable data on anomalous phenomena.
(48:33)
I cannot help but be excited by the potential for such an endeavor since scientific discovery is driven by anomalies. It's the existence and study of anomalies that led to the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and nearly all of humanity's scientific breakthroughs. This is why the study of UAPs should be embraced since whatever is occurring, the chance to garner new knowledge should never be ignored. We must be thorough in collecting information, fearless in making conclusions, and open to following the data no matter how mundane or extraordinary the results may be.
(49:09)
I began this testimony by praising the joint subcommittee members for their courage and I will end by echoing that sentiment. As the saying goes, the truth is out there. We just need to be bold enough and brave enough to face it. Thank you.
Nancy Mace (49:24):
Thank you. Thank you all. I will now recognize myself for five minutes of questioning. I have a lot of questions and I have a lot of witnesses, so I would just ask if it's yes or no to please just tell me yes or no. If it requires more than that, be very succinct because I would like to go down the line and ask as many questions as possible. So for the admiral this morning, first. Former DOD official, Chris Mellon reached out to you about satellite imagery from 2017 that depicts a UAP. What were the dates in 2017 when this occurred?
Timothy Gallaudet (49:55):
I can't share with you the details, ma'am, but I can do it in a closed setting and I can also tell you the agency that wrote a report on it.
Nancy Mace (50:01):
Okay. So who has the imagery?
Timothy Gallaudet (50:03):
I can tell you that in a closed setting.
Nancy Mace (50:05):
Can you describe what was depicted in the satellite imagery? Just a description.
Timothy Gallaudet (50:09):
It was a UAP, ma'am.
Nancy Mace (50:11):
That's it. No other description?
Timothy Gallaudet (50:16):
The term that the analysts used, they call it the button. It was a disk-shaped object.
Nancy Mace (50:21):
Okay. Where was it?
Timothy Gallaudet (50:23):
I can't tell you that, ma'am.
Nancy Mace (50:24):
Okay. All right. Okay, Mr. Elizondo, you stated in your testimony that, "Advanced technologies, not by our government or any other government are monitoring sensitive military installations around the globe." If these technologies are not made by any government who's making them? Private companies or are you implying they're crafted by a non-human intelligence?
Luis Elizondo (50:48):
Well, ma'am, that's precisely why we're here. The problem is that temporally speaking over decades, not just the last 10 years. To put this into perspective, when-
Nancy Mace (50:57):
Are these private companies you're implying or is this non- human intelligence?
Luis Elizondo (51:01):
It may be both. When it comes to Blue Force Technologies, I would not be able to discuss them.
Nancy Mace (51:06):
Okay. Are you read into secret UAP crash retrieval programs?
Luis Elizondo (51:09):
We would have to have a conversation in a closed session, ma'am. I signed documentation three years ago that restricts my ability to discuss specifically crash retrievals. I submitted for my book through the [inaudible 00:51:20] process, which took a year for it to be reviewed. And what is in the book is what I was told I'm allowed to talk about.
Nancy Mace (51:26):
Has the government conducted secret UAP crash retrieval programs, yes or no?
Luis Elizondo (51:30):
Yes.
Nancy Mace (51:31):
Okay. Were they designed to identify and reverse engineer alien craft, yes or no?
Luis Elizondo (51:35):
Yes.
Nancy Mace (51:36):
Does the US government have any reverse… Okay, I already said that question about retrieval programs. Do any US contractors have the same?
Luis Elizondo (51:45):
I would prefer to address it in a closed session, ma'am.
Nancy Mace (51:47):
Okay. In your book, you mentioned government employees who've been injured by UAPs placed on leave and receiving government compensation for their injuries. Is that correct?
Luis Elizondo (51:55):
That is correct.
Nancy Mace (51:56):
How can the government deny we have recovered craft if they're paying people because they've been injured by recovered craft?
Luis Elizondo (52:03):
Ma'am, that's a great question. That's why I think we're here again, because I've seen the documentation by the US government for several of these individuals who have sustained injuries as a result of a UAP incident.
Nancy Mace (52:15):
It's a crazy idea, right? The hypocrisy and the logic. Okay. Mr. Shellenberger, I'm going to say it again to be very clear. Immaculate Constellation, what's its mission and how are they funded?
Michael Shellenberger (52:28):
Its mission is to… As I stated, its mission is to… It's an unacknowledged special access program. Its mission is to document UAPs.
Nancy Mace (52:40):
Okay and for your story in your report, do you have more than one credible source?
Michael Shellenberger (52:44):
I do.
Nancy Mace (52:44):
Sourcing? Okay.
Michael Shellenberger (52:47):
I do.
Nancy Mace (52:47):
And then why do you believe your sources to be credible? How do you judge the veracity of the documentation you've been provided about this program?
Michael Shellenberger (52:53):
I checked the sources and they are who they say they are. They are current or former government officials. I wanted to also add that I did not specify that they were defense department employees. I didn't specify the agency nor the gender.
Nancy Mace (53:08):
Would they have included non-government employees? People that aren't employed by the government.
Michael Shellenberger (53:14):
I'm comfortable saying that these are government or previously government employees.
Nancy Mace (53:19):
Any of them currently employed by a private contractor or private contractors?
Michael Shellenberger (53:23):
I'd rather not say.
Nancy Mace (53:24):
Okay. What's the key takeaway? Just a few seconds about the Immaculate Constellation document you provided us today.
Michael Shellenberger (53:32):
I think that what the American people need to know is that the US and intelligence community are sitting on a huge amount of visual and other information, still photos, video photos, other sensor information, and they have for a very long time. And it's not those fuzzy photos and videos. We've been given those very clear…
Nancy Mace (53:49):
High res?
Michael Shellenberger (53:51):
High resolution.
Nancy Mace (53:53):
How many visuals, graphics, videos, photos?
Michael Shellenberger (53:56):
I mean, I've been told hundreds, maybe thousands. I mean, I also wanted to say, because there was some conversation around, concern around the revealing of these materials, revealing the source collections, but some of these are shot from helicopters using normal videos of oceans. I just think that's absurd that somehow you're going to be revealing some secret US technology by revealing that you've photographed orbs off the coast of Kuwait.
Nancy Mace (54:23):
Okay, thank you. You have eight seconds, Mr. Gold. Did NASA, independent study team get briefed on what you call AAWSAP? Very quickly.
Mike Gold (54:30):
I flagged the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Application program to our chair and our DFO. We did not get briefed, but I believe it is definitely worth looking into. That was probably the largest UAP review effort ever and I think produced a lot of interest data including revealing Nimitz. I don't know if my fellow litmus… Lue might want to… He did Yeoman's work on it, might want to comment.
Nancy Mace (54:52):
Okay. All right. I'm going to turn to Mr. Moskowitz who'll be recognized for five minutes of questioning.
Mr. Moskowitz (54:58):
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. So Mr. Gold, you gave a whole diatribe for a couple of minutes about UAP's science data collection stigma. A lot of non-believers in all of this would just ask a very simple question, why? Why is it so hard? Why are people… Anytime they ask, why are they always thwarted? Why are they always judged? Why is they always have misinformation spread? Why is there always retribution? Why is it always met with an ear? What's the why? If it doesn't exist, why is it such a problem?
Mike Gold (55:36):
I think if you go through the history of science, representative, it is always difficult for breakthroughs and new information regardless of whether it's UAP or any other kind of discovery. In science, we're supposed to be open, but when you break with the orthodoxy of what's believed, whether it's Galileo saying that the Earth doesn't rotate or the earth rotates around the sun or the sun doesn't rotate around the earth, it's always challenging for new beliefs and the more extraordinary those discoveries, the more extraordinary those new beliefs, it's very difficult.
(56:08)
So I think this is natural. There's natural conservatism that when it comes to science, but this issue in particular has been very difficult where again, even to attempt to study it becomes problematic. But every hearing like this, every news report, every video documentaries as privileged to be a part of something Dan Fair is putting together. I think many of us have interviewed for it documentary over 30 different government officials. Every brick in the wall will help get us closer to getting to the truth.
Mr. Moskowitz (56:41):
I appreciate that. Mr. Elizondo, did I have that correct?
Luis Elizondo (56:45):
Sir.
Mr. Moskowitz (56:46):
I'm a recovering lawyer, so I'm going to put my hat on for a second. You said you signed a document. Love that. Who gave that to you?
Luis Elizondo (56:53):
The US government, sir.
Mr. Moskowitz (56:54):
Okay. You have a copy of it?
Luis Elizondo (56:55):
It is stored into SCIF right now. I do not have possession of it. The US government does.
Mr. Moskowitz (57:01):
What department of the US government gave you this document?
Luis Elizondo (57:03):
I will say the Department of Defense. Unfortunately, I can't say in this forum much more than that.
Mr. Moskowitz (57:07):
You specifically said the document said you can't talk about crash retrieval. Well, you can't talk about fight club if there's no fight club.
Luis Elizondo (57:16):
Correct.
Mr. Moskowitz (57:17):
Okay, I'm just making an observation.
Luis Elizondo (57:20):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Moskowitz (57:20):
So that document that you signed that you said exists specifically said you can't talk about crash retrieval.
Luis Elizondo (57:28):
Correct, sir. It was a limitation on what I… Because already I'd been speaking publicly about the topic and so the document said you can continue saying XYZ, but you cannot discuss the topic of crash retrieval.
Mr. Moskowitz (57:39):
Give me the atmosphere of signing this document. You're in a room by yourself?
Luis Elizondo (57:42):
I'm in a SCIF with a security officer, sir.
Mr. Moskowitz (57:44):
Just one-on-one? Anybody else?
Luis Elizondo (57:47):
There may have been an assistant as well. It was in a SCIF within a Department of Defense facility.
Mr. Moskowitz (57:52):
Give me your background real quick.
Luis Elizondo (57:54):
My background is I went to school to study microbiology and immunology entered into the US Army and after a very short stint in military intelligence, I became a counterintelligence special agent. As a civilian, later on I became a special agent in charge running investigations in counterterrorism and counterespionage primarily with some experience in counterinsurgency and counternarcotics. And then in 2009 timeframe, when I came back to the Pentagon after a tour with the director of National Intelligence, I quickly became part of a program that was originally called AAWSAP that evolved into the program now called AATIP, which is where those videos that we now see, with the GOFAST, the GIMBAL, the FLIR. That was part of our effort, sir.
Mr. Moskowitz (58:39):
Right. So you're not some conspiracy theorist. You actually have a legitimate background.
Luis Elizondo (58:44):
Well, sir, I'm certainly not a conspiracy theorist. I'm fact-based. Just say facts-
Mr. Moskowitz (58:49):
So when you're in this room, I'm going to paint the picture of everybody. You're in this room, you're by yourself, you're in a SCIF, you're handed a document. How long is the document?
Luis Elizondo (58:55):
It's about a page front and back. So basically you have some things they call trigraphs, which I cannot again talk to.
Mr. Moskowitz (59:01):
How long were you given to sign the document?
Luis Elizondo (59:04):
As long as I needed, sir.
Mr. Moskowitz (59:05):
What if you didn't sign it?
Luis Elizondo (59:07):
Well, I suspect there'd be repercussions. I wouldn't have access to certain information.
Mr. Moskowitz (59:11):
Were you allowed to conduct… Ask a lawyer or weren't allowed to ask for a lawyer to review the document?
Luis Elizondo (59:18):
It wasn't an option, but they may probably wouldn't have allowed me to because the document itself was pretty explicit about you have to be… Wait, you're putting me in an interest. Let me try to thread a needle here. There are certain documents that we have in the US government that allow people to have access to certain programs, whether it's a special… And I'm going to be very generic here, whether it's a special access program or controlled access program, SAP, CAP, whatnot.
Mr. Moskowitz (59:41):
How many people have to sign that document?
Luis Elizondo (59:42):
It depends how many people are going to get access to the information, sir.
Mr. Moskowitz (59:45):
Okay. Last question. Doctor, real quick. Can you tell us about the Omaha incident in greater detail? I've read your background. Some people would label you as a member of the deep state since you worked in government for a long period of time. But can you tell us more about that incident? You've written a lot about that.
Timothy Gallaudet (01:00:04):
I wrote a lot about incidents like it, Congressman, but that specific incident involved the USS Omaha, the Littoral combat ship of the US Navy operating off of Southern California. I don't remember the exact date. It was within the last decade. And what the watchstanders on the bridge observed was an UAP. Again, something that was aloft but had no observable exhaust or control surfaces. So it was something that couldn't be explained and then they saw it enter the water from the atmosphere and going through the air-sea interface, and so thus exhibiting transmedium travel.
Mr. Moskowitz (01:00:41):
Thank you. I yield back.
Nancy Mace (01:00:42):
Thank you. I'll now recognize Mr. Grothman for five minutes of questioning.
Mr. Grothman (01:00:45):
Yeah. We'll start with Mr. Gallaudet. During a previous UAP hearing, Navy Commander David Fravor discussed the Tic Tac object engaged in 2004. Are you familiar with the incident, the Tic Tac incident?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:01:00):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Grothman (01:01:01):
And that's almost 20 years ago, right?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:01:04):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Grothman (01:01:05):
It's been said there are more videos, documents, and reports related to this incident. Do you believe the information regarding the Tic Tac incident should be available to all members of Congress? And in your expertise, what reason would the Department of Defense possibly have for not releasing information that's over 20 years old?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:01:24):
Thank you, congressman. I don't think there's any good reason to withhold information and important data, especially of a national security concern from Congress.
Mr. Grothman (01:01:31):
What would they say?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:01:34):
I will speculate, sir, that they don't want to share that kind of information because it reveals weaknesses in our ability to monitor and protect our airspace.
Mr. Grothman (01:01:44):
Okay. And your written testimony, you claim last year's UAP hearing before this oversight committee confirmed that UAP-related information is… Well, it's not only being withheld, but the elements of the government are engaging in a disinformation campaign to include personal attacks designed to discredit UAP whistleblowers. Could you elaborate on that statement a little?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:02:09):
Yes, sir. Earlier this year I met with the DOD's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. And what I thought would be a 90-minute meeting just to meet with leadership turned out to be an hours-long influence operation on me where I was… They attempted to convince me of the validity of the very flawed and error-ridden historical records report. In addition, they tried to have me question very valid UAP reports like the Tic Tac incident. And even coming to stating possibly that the Tic Tac was American technology.
(01:02:49)
And then of course if you ask David Fravor, Alex Dietrich, the two witnesses, they were convinced it was otherwise. And they also cast discredit on various UAP whistleblowers and witnesses to question their validity and credibility as witnesses.
Mr. Grothman (01:03:06):
Okay. We'll go to Mr. Elizondo. Hope I got that right, or at least-
Luis Elizondo (01:03:12):
Close enough, sir.
Mr. Grothman (01:03:14):
You're familiar with the recent drone incursion over Langley Air Force Base?
Luis Elizondo (01:03:18):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Grothman (01:03:18):
The owners of these drones remain unclear. The US military has not been able to give us in Congress an answer. Given your experience with the Department of Defense and the intelligence community, how frequently are UAP sightings over military installations? And secondly, I suppose, hypothetically you could have incursions over just say regular airports. Is it obvious these incursions are more likely over military facilities than just a random airport out there?
Luis Elizondo (01:03:49):
Yes, sir. There's definitely enough data to suggest that there is certainly some sort of relationship between sensitive US military installations, also some of our nuclear equities and also some of our Department of Energy sites. There is a long historical record that some of your colleagues may have documentation that demonstrates this. This is not a new trend. This has been going on for decades and that information has been obfuscated unfortunately from folks like you in this committee. And I think that's problematic because ultimately at the end of the day, we have a significant situation here. We have something that can enter into US airspace completely with no attribution.
Mr. Grothman (01:04:30):
And how long has this been going on?
Luis Elizondo (01:04:32):
Sir, decades. And there's information that will hopefully be entered into the record.
Mr. Grothman (01:04:35):
Can you think of any possible reason why they can't release any information they have on something, say 15 or 20 years old?
Luis Elizondo (01:04:41):
Sir, if I could echo my colleague here, Admiral Gallaudet, I think one of the big issues that we have in the Intelligence Community Department of Defense is we don't want to broadcast any potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in our national defense systems or on intelligence collection platforms. Therefore, when you have a conversation where you address a problem for which there is no solution, it makes that a very uncomfortable conversation to have.
Mr. Grothman (01:05:04):
Okay. We'll switch to Mr. Shellenberger. The primary reason you're here today is because you published an article on the news publication that you own called Public, right, alleging that a new unnamed government whistleblowers come forward asserting that a highly classified program exists dedicated to recovery and reverse engineering of UAP technologies. Can you give us what specific evidence you have or that your source provided you to substantiate the claims about the existence of the Immaculate Constellation program?
Michael Shellenberger (01:05:39):
Well, you have the report in front of you now so you can see it for yourself. But I checked the report and I did not find it based on existing cases. It was new cases for me. At least I hadn't found anybody. That answered for me that it was not obviously circular reporting, which is one of the big concerns in this space.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:06:00):
I also had the name of the program confirmed by more than one additional source. So yeah, and then of course I checked to make sure that the source was who they claimed to be.
Mr. Grothman (01:06:11):
Okay.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:06:12):
I should also say that when I said before it was this database, it is much broader program that also includes human intelligence. And then as you mentioned, the retrieval and-
Mr. Grothman (01:06:20):
Any knowledge of what country these things originated in?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:06:26):
No. No, I have no idea.
Mr. Grothman (01:06:27):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:06:29):
Okay. I'll now recognize Mr. Burchett for five minutes of questions.
Mr. Burchett (01:06:33):
Thanks, Chairlady. I request unanimous consent entered into the record, documents provided to us regarding Legacy UAP programs and psychological operations, Lou Elizondo.
Speaker 1 (01:06:44):
So ordered.
Mr. Burchett (01:06:45):
I also want to thank my buddy Jeremy Corbell for writing this documents and access to some whistleblowers. Mr. Elizondo, what is your last position with the federal government,
Luis Elizondo (01:06:57):
Sir, I was the director of national programs special management staff managing a White House special access program on behalf of the National Security Council.
Mr. Burchett (01:07:06):
How would you characterize UAPs?
Luis Elizondo (01:07:09):
An enigma, sir, and a frustration. We are talking about technologies that can outperform anything we have in our inventory. And if this was an adversarial technology, this would be an intelligence failure eclipsing that of 9/11 by an order of magnitude.
Mr. Burchett (01:07:25):
Are there classified Department of Defense materials, related to UAPs that you believe could be safely disclosed to the public without compromising national security?
Luis Elizondo (01:07:35):
Yes sir, I do. I would never, ever try to endorse providing some sort of information that could compromise what we call a Blue Force technology or capability, but I do believe there's a lot of information regarding this topic, and I've been very vocal about it. That should be shared not only with the public, but most importantly with members of Congress.
Mr. Burchett (01:07:52):
Are you familiar with my friend David Grush?
Luis Elizondo (01:07:54):
Absolutely, sir. I had the privilege and honor of working with him myself several years ago at US Space Force.
Mr. Burchett (01:08:00):
Last year, as you know, he testified that the US has run a multi-decade, UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program. Would you agree with that?
Luis Elizondo (01:08:09):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Burchett (01:08:10):
Are there UAP programs operating without proper congressional oversight?
Luis Elizondo (01:08:15):
100%.
Mr. Burchett (01:08:17):
What are they?
Luis Elizondo (01:08:18):
Unfortunately, sir, I would have to have that conversation in a closed session.
Mr. Burchett (01:08:22):
I know you said that and a lot of people are frustrated with those kind of answers, but we're asking those kind of questions so you all know what the heck we're up against. You also mentioned in your opening statement that the Pentagon's Public Affairs office employs the Psychological operations officers a singular point of conduct for UAP-related inquiries. Why the heck would they do that?
Luis Elizondo (01:08:41):
Sir, that's a great question. I would ask the Pentagon. There's a long history here of that individual providing misleading and false information to the public through various news outlets and media outlets in order to discredit this topic. I have personally been victim to it. We have the documentation to substantiate where this information has absolutely inaccurate that has been provided time and time again, and it turns out that that individual was also working with former leadership of AARO at the time as well,
Mr. Burchett (01:09:07):
And we punished them by giving them multi-million dollars more than they asked for every year. Admiral Gallaudet, you mentioned in your opening statement, on an email you received from the operations officer of the Fleet forces command regarding unknown objects, almost colliding with US military planes. Did anyone respond with knowledge of what the objects were?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:09:28):
I received no response, sir.
Mr. Burchett (01:09:29):
Did the exercise get canceled?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:09:32):
The exercise did not get canceled.
Mr. Burchett (01:09:33):
Why do you think the commander of Fleet Forces operations officer never discussed the incident again?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:09:39):
Sir, I'm speculating because I didn't have an exchange with him, but I believed it to be part of a special access program, the information and the video, which we have known now, it was. And he realized he couldn't share that openly with the recipients of the email, and therefore the email was pulled from everybody's account.
Mr. Burchett (01:09:56):
Again, tell us what happened to the email from the commander of Fleet Forces.
Timothy Gallaudet (01:10:00):
The day after I received it and all the other recipients received it, which were all the subordinate commanders of US Fleet Forces, so one and two-star admirals, including strike group commanders, the email was wiped or deleted from our accounts.
Mr. Burchett (01:10:13):
Okay.
Timothy Gallaudet (01:10:13):
And then no one talked about it.
Mr. Burchett (01:10:14):
All right. Have you specifically had any experience with submersible objects?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:10:21):
Sir, I've not. No personal experience, but I've had witnesses on submarines come to me and say they've seen, on sonar data-
Mr. Burchett (01:10:31):
Correct. Okay. How would you characterize those? And how do they move?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:10:37):
The one instance that was revealed to me was in the 80s, on a nuclear-powered submarine, a ballistic missile submarine, that the object exhibited the characteristics of a Russian torpedo in terms of its speed of movement and closing rate with the submarine. And then it slowed and followed the submarine slowly in its wake for a period of minutes, and then rapidly exited the scene. And nothing that we know of and technology-wise could replicate that.
Mr. Burchett (01:11:07):
And the speed of these objects was faster than anything that we have or anybody else has. That would be manned. Is that correct?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:11:14):
It was on the order of a torpedo.
Mr. Burchett (01:11:17):
Yes, sir.
Timothy Gallaudet (01:11:17):
Yes, sir. But as it exited-
Mr. Burchett (01:11:20):
I don't exactly know how fast a torpedo is, but I suspect it does better than my old outboard Scott-Atwater, so I'll take that as a yes.
Timothy Gallaudet (01:11:27):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Burchett (01:11:27):
Okay. Have you experienced any experience with the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, AARO?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:11:35):
Yes, Congressman. As I mentioned previously, I have met with them.
Mr. Burchett (01:11:39):
Okay. You heard Mr. Alexander describe psychological operations for those contacting the Department of Defense about UAPs. You mentioned a similar influence operation by AARO. Why are federal agencies invested in running information operations about UAPs if they do not exist?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:11:58):
Yes, sir. But I'll make a statement on AARO's behalf. They have new leadership. The office has reached out to me to meet again. And I take that as a good faith effort, and we'll see where that goes.
Mr. Burchett (01:12:10):
Thank you. Chairlady, I've run over. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:12:11):
Thank you, Mr. Tennessee. I would now like to recognize Mr. Higgins. You're the king of Tennessee. Mr. Higgins, you're recognized for five minutes of questions.
Mr. Higgins (01:12:22):
Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Elizondo, Mr. Shellenberger notes in the report that we've been given for this hearing… I believe, Mr. Shellenberger, let me shift, you were the author of this report?
Luis Elizondo (01:12:39):
I'm sorry, sir. I am not the author of-
Mr. Higgins (01:12:40):
Mr. Shellenberger, were you the author of this report?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:12:44):
No, I was not.
Mr. Higgins (01:12:44):
There's no name on it.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:12:46):
No.
Mr. Higgins (01:12:46):
Do you know the author?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:12:48):
I do.
Mr. Higgins (01:12:49):
You do? And how would you estimate that madam or gentlemen, the author?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:12:54):
The person is a current or former US government employee.
Mr. Higgins (01:12:58):
And it states here that this is the public version of the author's report.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:04):
Yes.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:05):
So where might one find the non-public version of the author's report?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:11):
I don't know the answer to that.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:13):
Would that be with the Department of Defense?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:15):
I don't know.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:19):
But you do know the author?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:20):
I do.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:21):
You know what the author's sources were?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:25):
The author's sources are described in the report, these databases, the Immaculate Constellation [inaudible 01:13:32]
Mr. Higgins (01:13:31):
But you expressed some confidence in the sources.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:35):
I would.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:36):
Earlier in testimony,-
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:37):
I do.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:38):
… you expressed confidence. So do you know those sources?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:41):
I do.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:42):
Are they within the Department of Defense?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:44):
I can't say.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:45):
You can't say or you won't say?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:46):
I won't say.
Mr. Higgins (01:13:48):
Okay, why not?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:13:49):
Because I protect my sources, and I think the reason-
Mr. Higgins (01:13:52):
But you're not naming them. It's a big department. Many of us on my side of the aisle would say it's far too big. So you're talking about the Department of Defense sources from within the Department of Defense?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:14:04):
I'm not willing to reduce the potential universe of where my sources might be.
Mr. Higgins (01:14:10):
Okay. Moving on. In this report, Mr. Elizondo, for reference, several types of allegedly alien craft or possibly alien craft or unknown aerial phenomena, what we used to call UFOs, are described, spheres and orbs, disks and saucers, oval or tic-tac, triangular shape, boomerang and arrowhead, and irregular or organic. Mr. Elizondo, does that summarized to you the types of craft that we're discussing today?
Luis Elizondo (01:14:47):
Sir, that is a general morphology, historically speaking, of many UAP.
Mr. Higgins (01:14:50):
Okay, so those descriptions are very different craft. Is it your assessment that they would come of different origins?
Luis Elizondo (01:15:04):
It's possible, but it also could be a matter of utility. And let me just state for the record, I never read the report or the article that Mr. Shellenberger put out. The reason is-
Mr. Higgins (01:15:14):
That's a good point. We're just referencing it-
Luis Elizondo (01:15:16):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Higgins (01:15:16):
… for descriptive purposes. For the American people. Mr. Shellenberger, in this report, it's striking to me that regarding the descriptions of experiences with these various craft, several of them include biological effects and several do not. Are you familiar with what I'm talking about?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:15:42):
Yes.
Mr. Higgins (01:15:43):
Okay, so spheres and orbs, triangular craft, and irregular or organic craft includes some descriptions of biological effects, including feelings of unease, electronic device malfunctions, long-term psychological effects, such as anxiety or insomnia have been noted, feeling of being watched, a shared awareness with the triangle craft. And under the irregular organic craft, biological effects include physical sensations of warmth to cold and unexplained smells and psychological distress. So these are very specific descriptions of your reactions of human beings, which allegedly have been noted from a study here, a report. All of those experiences would've been described by the sources that the author used?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:16:57):
I'm not sure I understand the question.
Mr. Higgins (01:16:57):
This is a very broad description of biological effects, and it's striking to me that they are present with relation to some types of craft, but absent in others. This would require a great deal of research and study. Can you explain that?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:17:16):
My understanding is that this is…. The database is very large. It includes both the images, the videos, the still images, as well as the human intelligence, the reports, the raw data from individuals having these experiences. So in answer to your question, yeah, I think we're looking at a very large amount of data collected over many decades
Mr. Higgins (01:17:38):
And that data is held by the Department of Defense?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:17:39):
Well, I will say that after I published, I was told that this program, that the USAP was actually managed by the Department of Defense but held at the White House.
Mr. Higgins (01:17:52):
Roger that.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:17:53):
But that's a single source, and I don't have multiple sources to verify that.
Mr. Higgins (01:17:57):
Thank you, sir. I did my best to trick an answer out of you, but I was partially successful. Madam Chair, I yield.
Speaker 1 (01:18:04):
Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Frost for five minutes of questions.
Mr. Frost (01:18:08):
Thank you, Madam Chair. In addition to serving on this committee, the Oversight Committee, I also serve on the science space and technology committee where we often discuss how essential data and evidence are used in science and used at departments such as NASA. During a hearing. NASA administrator, Nelson, affirmed the importance of NASA and helping us to understand UAP. Mr. Gold if the government doesn't have the data it needs on UAP because, say someone who saw something is concerned about stigma, public backlash, et cetera, or maybe there's just not good systems in place, how are we supposed to ultimately figure out what's going on?
Mike Gold (01:18:51):
Yeah, thank you for the question. And let me compliment Administrator Nelson that there wouldn't have been a UAP independent study team if it wasn't for his leadership and courage. We're talking about data and where we can get data from. As I described, NASA has whole archives of data, much of which I believe will likely have information that will help inform UAP. We need only look. And again, in AARO, with AI and ML, we can relatively quickly and easily go through it. So I think it's something that we should encourage NASA to do. However, per Chairman Groffman's comment about UAP focusing on national security sites, I believe there's something, sir, that you may have heard of called sensor bias, that because we've got more cameras, more monitoring of national security, we don't know how extensive UAP activity may be over civilian areas.
(01:19:40)
And this is to the second part of your question, where we're not collecting the data. We're not collecting sufficient data from pilots. We're not collecting sufficient data from civilian and commercial activities. And this is, again, where ASRS, I think, could substantially change that, get the data out there and allow us to do good science.
Mr. Frost (01:19:57):
Thank you. On the data, I'm a really big proponent of transparency, but obviously there's always a little bit of balance that we have to have in government on transparency as well. Last year, NASA appointed a director of UAP research and response to the recommendation by the independent study team. In the final report, there's a quote. "Despite numerous accounts and visuals, the absence of consistent, detailed, and curated observations means we do not presently have the body of data needed to make definite and scientific conclusions about UAP." Can you just talk really quickly about that balance of security and transparency?
Mike Gold (01:20:37):
So I can say, having served at NASA, it is the most transparent organization I've ever been in. When we would have conversations of executive leadership, things would leak out almost instantly. So I can assure you, intentionally or not, NASA's very transparent. I don't know if many of you have worked with engineers or scientists. They love to talk. So I believe that NASA is a paradigm of transparency, but we must have the ability and the data to be able to be transparent with and if we're not gathering that, if we're not looking at it, then we can't bring NASA into the game and get to that good science that you need.
Mr. Frost (01:21:15):
It was about a year ago, I was touring a facility with a pretty senior government official. We went by a certain hanger and they said, "Yeah, that's… A company leases that out. We don't really know what's going on in there. We have no way of knowing what's going on in there." And there was a few of those, in fact, while we were driving around this facility. To what extent do you think that some of the UAP out there comes from off the books or unauthorized experimental aircraft?
Mike Gold (01:21:46):
I think probably the vast majority of UAP are drones, experimental aircraft, weather conditions, which is, again, why I say if we review the data, I think we're going to discover a lot about things we weren't even thinking about. But there is a percentage that isn't, and looking into those anomalies is how discoveries will be made. And relative to science, Congressman, if I can say, when NASA studies black holes, when NASA studies galaxies, we have instruments that are tailored to do so. With UAP, we're using cockpit gun cameras or cell phones. We could never do good science with that. And let me tell you that NASA budget is under pressure. We need to make sure that the Artemis program is funded fully. We need to beat China to the moon and maintain our presence in low earth orbit. So NASA would need more money to do this, but I think tailored instruments that would look at UAP in the same way that we have tailored instruments to look at astronomical data is important to gathering valuable and uniform information.
(01:22:44)
If we were studying black holes by using fighter cockpit cameras, we probably wouldn't know that much about black holes.
Mr. Frost (01:22:51):
100%. Well, I think it's important that federal leaders take the necessary steps to ensure that UAP does not pose threats to the American public as well, and that we have the necessary budgets to collect this data so we can actually see what's going on. And I'm fully supportive of funding the Artemis mission. I think it's very important. Also, a personal note, the pilot is a frat brother of mine. He is a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, and so I would love to see my fraternity make it to the moon.
Mike Gold (01:23:22):
Redwire is building the cameras for Artemis, so we will take some pictures of your frat brother and get them.
Mr. Frost (01:23:26):
There we go. Thank you so much. I yield back.
Speaker 1 (01:23:28):
Thank you. I will now recognize Ms. Luna for five minutes of questioning.
Mrs. Luna (01:23:32):
Mr. Elizondo, to your knowledge, can you name the country and around timeframe that the first back engineered UAP program started?
Luis Elizondo (01:23:41):
Ma'am, unfortunately, I would not be able to have that conversation in public.
Mrs. Luna (01:23:45):
Can anyone on the panel name that?
Luis Elizondo (01:23:48):
I cannot.
Mrs. Luna (01:23:49):
None of you? Okay. This next question is for Mr. Gallaudet. To your knowledge, have any USOs ever outpaced our submarines?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:24:02):
Yes, ma'am.
Mrs. Luna (01:24:03):
At what magnitude?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:24:04):
I don't have the exact speed, but again, a witness came to me, a credible former submarine officer who observed it on sonar data. And this was in the 80s in the North Atlantic during a storm, and it outpaced his submarine by orders of magnitude.
Mrs. Luna (01:24:22):
Are you aware of any hot spots that currently exist off our shores in North America?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:24:27):
Not with sufficiently credible data, ma'am.
Mrs. Luna (01:24:32):
Okay. We've heard reports of their potentially being hot spots, maybe entry and exit points. Have you heard of any of that?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:24:39):
I have not, ma'am, but my colleague here, Mr. Elizondo, does discuss some USO activity that he's observed in certain DOD databases,
Mrs. Luna (01:24:51):
Mr. Elizondo, in regards to these aircraft being piloted by whatever they might be, non-human biologics, would you agree that it's likely that they are being piloted by some mind-body connection?
Luis Elizondo (01:25:06):
Ma'am, I think it is safe to presume here that they are being intelligently controlled because some cases seem to anticipate our maneuvers. And in other cases, they seem to… And I came across an email where the word stocked was used in a very secure email between navy officers discussing their ships being pursued by a UAP.
Mrs. Luna (01:25:31):
In our previous panel we had Grush, and he had testified to say that some of these were inter-dimensional beings. Can you speak on that at all?
Luis Elizondo (01:25:40):
Ma'am, I'm not qualified, certainly as a scientist or otherwise, to speculate points of origin, I looked at everything from a scientific perspective. So if you look at, for example, instantaneous acceleration, which was one of the observables of the program that I belong to, ATIP, the human body can withstand about nine G-forces for a short period of time before you suffer negative biological consequences, blackouts and ultimately redouts, and even death. Comparison, our best technology, the F-16, which is one… It's an older platform, but one of our most highly maneuverable aircraft, manned aircraft made by General Dynamics, can perform about 17 or 18 G-forces before you start having structural failure, meaning that the airframe begins to disintegrate while you're flying. The vehicles we're talking about are performing in excess of 1000, 2000, 3000 Gs.
Mrs. Luna (01:26:31):
So are you… I guess would it be safe to infer that they're living craft?
Luis Elizondo (01:26:37):
I'm not prepared at this point to state for the record is something alive or not because even that definition… There was a time in science we thought that life required oxygen, and we now know that's not true. There are anaerobic bacteria that thrive in environments that lack oxygen. And also the same with photosynthesis. When I was in college, I was told everything is derived from photosynthesis as a form of energy. In reality, that's not true. There are things that live off of chemosynthesis. So we're constantly having to reevaluate our understanding of what the definition of life is.
Mrs. Luna (01:27:13):
Do any of you ever come across reports from people that claim to have firsthand experiences with these entities, whatever they might be, or these aircraft, and then as a result, whether or not they're religious find that these things will automatically disappear? Anyone? And this is open to any of you on the panel. So just real quick because I'm running out of time. Lou.
Luis Elizondo (01:27:34):
Ma'am, I've always been a nuts and bolts kind of guy. When I was at ATIP, I was focusing more on the performance characteristics and less on the potential occupants.
Mrs. Luna (01:27:44):
Okay. The reason I ask is because it seems like, just based on our conversations that we've had, people that say that there are good and bad of whatever these things are. And so my concern from a national security perspective is, A, that true? B, are you guys hearing the reports of that. And C, I think moving forward in regards to technology, Mr. Gold, if you can answer this real quickly, some of these aircraft, it seems that they are operating off of energy that we don't currently have. But just yes or no, in your opinion, if we were able to obtain that, would that impact humanity for the better or negative?
Mike Gold (01:28:14):
Would certainly save us some money on funding an Artemis.
Mrs. Luna (01:28:16):
Definitely.
Mike Gold (01:28:17):
And this is a national security issue, that if there is such technology out there, we're not the only country that might have access to it. We don't want to be on the wrong end of technological surprise.
Mrs. Luna (01:28:27):
Okay. Thank you guys for your time.
Speaker 1 (01:28:29):
All right, thank you. I will now recognize Mr. Garcia for five minutes.
Mr. Garcia (01:28:33):
Thank you. And I apologize for stepping out. My governor is here upstairs, so I'm trying to get in between meetings, so I apologize for that. I want to just start by just asking everyone on the panel or witnesses… And I had a chance to read all the testimony before, but just to set the agenda, if we can go down little briefly. Do you believe, just for the record, that the federal government, any part of the federal government, is knowingly concealing evidence about UAPs from the public?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:28:59):
Yes, sir.
Luis Elizondo (01:29:02):
100%.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:29:03):
Yes.
Mike Gold (01:29:05):
Yes.
Mr. Garcia (01:29:05):
Thank you. I also want to just go down the line. I know many of you have already said this, but I just for the record again, just briefly, what do you believe UAPs could be or are?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:29:18):
Strong evidence that they're non-human higher intelligence.
Luis Elizondo (01:29:24):
I echo my colleague's comment, sir.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:29:27):
Genuinely do not know.
Mike Gold (01:29:31):
Don't know, but we must find out.
Mr. Garcia (01:29:33):
Okay, thank you. I appreciate those answers, gentlemen. I think this is obviously another remarkable hearing with just really important information, so I thank all of you for answering the questions. Admiral, I just want to go back to one thing. Now, last year, our subcommittee heard from two retired navy pilots, Lieutenant Ryan Graves and Commander David Fravor regarding UAPs. Actually, I think Ryan is here in the audience and been a great person to get to know and to have conversations with. He, of course, has been involved in the Safe Airspace for Americans Act with Chairman Graves, with Chairwoman Mace for UAP reporting by civilian aviation personnel. Can you discuss briefly why it's important for civilian pilots to be able to report UAPs and why these legal protections are critical for our national security?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:30:21):
Yes, Congressman. Thank you. And I did invite Ryan Graves as my guest, as I'm on his advisory board for the Americans for Safe Aerospace. And the legislation that you supported and introduced, I fully support as well. And I think it's important that more civilian pilots, commercial pilots report so we can better understand and learn and do research on UAP, as well as remove the stigma so more citizens report on what they observe. And also, it'll only contribute to aviation safety when we have a better understanding of where these UAP are, how they operate, and at what frequency and what capability level. So it's important for aviation safety, and it'll be important for moving science and research forward.
Mr. Garcia (01:31:02):
Thank you, sir. And I just want to just reiterate to my colleagues, this is a very bipartisan piece of legislation, and we just got to continue to get this through the Congress, and it's incredibly important that civilian pilots have the opportunity to safely report the UAPs that they're seeing or encountering in the air. And I can't express how critical this piece of what I believe is a larger collection of evidence and facts actually happen. We've been approached by pilots. I've talked to folks that have been engaged with our office and others, and there is still enormous stigma. And essentially, we don't have a system where folks are feeling free to be able to report what they're seeing. And so I just want to reiterate that advocacy. Mr. Gold, in your testimony, you discuss NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System, a confidential non-punitive reporting mechanism. In the safe Airspace for Americans Act, we explicitly allow for civilian reporting, of course, of UAPs. Can you explain why the NASA Task Force recommended the use of the Aviation Safety Reporting System?
Mike Gold (01:32:05):
The Aviation Safety Reporting System is an existing system that is trusted, that has taken hundreds of thousands, now millions of cases. And again, recognizing budgetary constraints, this seemed like the perfect way to be able to gain more data. And when it comes to the stigma, sir, it's something that pilots are used to reporting on, the crew is used to reporting on. So it's a great way to get data, to overcome the stigma without spending really that much more additional money since the system exists. Thank you so much for your support of that. Thank you for what Ryan Graves does. This is a common sense means to expose the truth of UAP for the purpose of this hearing.
Mr. Garcia (01:32:43):
Thank you. And I just want to also add now, earlier this year, as part of the House defense Authorization bill, the NDAA, I had filed an amendment to include the UAP Disclosure Act, which would create a UAP records review board, an exercise with exercise of eminent domain over UAP related material modeled actually on the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act, which is widely known. Now, the amendment was blocked, but thankfully the Senate included the amendment by Senator Rounds and Schumer for the UAP Disclosure Act. So I just, again, want to say that we should be pushing and ensuring the UAP Disclosure Act, which is bipartisan in its support, should move forward. And if I can just briefly… Also particularly Admiral, can you just briefly, as I close my time, explain why the UAP Disclosure Act would be critical for us and our national security?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:33:32):
Thank you, Congressman. Yes, I believe the UAP Disclosure Act is important for national security, as well as advancing potential socioeconomic benefits resulting from UAP research, as well as public safety as we refer to previously regarding aviation. And this act will allow for greater transparency and open research, and that's why I'm also a member of the UAP Disclosure Fund as an advisor, as an sole foundation, as senior strategic advisor, which is advocating for the same.
Mr. Garcia (01:34:00):
Thank you very much. I yield back.
Speaker 1 (01:34:01):
All right. Thank you. I'd like to recognize Mr. Biggs for five minutes of questioning.
Mr. Biggs (01:34:04):
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for holding this committee. Thank you to the witnesses. Admiral, the video that is called the Go Fast video, the email that you've talked about being deleted, I just want to briefly cover this. You said that the email, the author was asking whether any of the recipients were aware of the classified technology demonstrations that could explain the objects that were observed. And then you said the email disappears, then you guys have a series of meetings. The commander of Fleet Forces and his operations officer never discussed the incident again. Is that accurate?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:34:45):
That's accurate, sir.
Mr. Biggs (01:34:46):
And even during weekly meetings, it was never discussed again. My question for you is you were in those meetings. Did you personally hear that nothing was going on about that?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:34:58):
Yes, sir. I was in those meetings, and-
Mr. Biggs (01:35:00):
Did you make inquiries about that?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:35:02):
No, I did not, sir, because I inferred, since I had been read into other special access programs, that this UAP video was part of one that I was not read into, or any of the recipients or the author of the email, and that an intelligence agency basically pulled it back and instructed the author of the email, "Hey, you just conducted what they call spillage into a lower classification level." And when that's done, the procedures are basically to remove any of the communication.
Mr. Biggs (01:35:34):
You're going to silo it. And you, Mr. Elizondo, you said in report and your testimony today, "A government work on the UAP subject still remains classified. Excessive secrecy 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." Fair?
Luis Elizondo (01:35:58):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Biggs (01:35:59):
All right. And all of you… And Mr. Shellenberger, by the way, I've read several of your books, Mr. Shellenberger. Excellent stuff.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:36:04):
Thank you.
Mr. Biggs (01:36:06):
What I would say too is you were asked about the veracity of the author of this report. You're comfortable with veracity?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:36:15):
Yes.
Mr. Biggs (01:36:15):
Okay. And I'll get to you in a second, Mr. Gold. We'll talk about Kuhnian and Lakatosian scientific advancement and our obviating that through these processes. But we'll get to that in a sec because what I want to really get to is the ultimate question really becomes this, for what purpose is the federal government overclassifying? Because that's what they're doing, they're overclassifying and forbidding the public for getting access to this. And if you know, if you have an explanation, I'm curious because I know what I've been told. I just want to know from your perspective, why do they overclassify? Mr. Elizondo, you look like your finger on the button, ready to go.
Luis Elizondo (01:37:02):
Yes, sir. Forgive me. I think there's several reasons. I think at the time when this reality became evident to the US government, we were in the middle of the Cold War with then Soviet Union, and we did not want to tip our hands to what our knowledge base was on this topic. We did not want to broadcast that to [inaudible 01:37:22]
Mr. Biggs (01:37:22):
Cold War is long over.
Luis Elizondo (01:37:23):
It is, sir. It is, sir. There's also then the philosophical argument that the Department of Defense and the intelligence community is solution oriented. And when you don't have answers, it's a really tough spot to be in.
Mr. Biggs (01:37:35):
It's easier to be quiet and suppressed if you don't have the answer.
Luis Elizondo (01:37:38):
Indeed, sir. In fact, there's a very real example when we built a U-two spy plane and flew it over then Russia, and we're taking reconnaissance. And when we first started flying the aircraft, it flew so high and so fast we thought they weren't tracking us. In reality, they were tracking every flight. It wasn't until the Russians could develop the SA2 surface-to-air missile and successfully shoot them down.
Mr. Biggs (01:38:00):
I would suggest to you also, along with Lakatos and Kuhn, you also have a problem with Kenneth Arrow's path dependence, increasing returns. That's one reason why they won't disclose it. It's too painful to admit. But I just want to read a couple things from Mr. Shellenberger's, what he gave to us today because I think this is interesting stuff and I just want to convey this to you. On USG networks, there exist infrared footage of and imagery of a grouping of vessels engaged in signet and mass collection at night in a specific area of the Pacific Ocean. This footage, which was in close proximity to the vessels, a large equilateral triangle, UAP suddenly appears directly over the ships. These three bright points are seen at each bottom corner of the UAP, which is observed to slowly rotate on its horizontal axis. And he goes on to describe that. And I just want to read one more. And I'm doing this because
Mr. Biggs (01:39:00):
… I think it's interesting, this stuff is interesting as anything. So let's get this one here, right here. "While performing a routine airspace surveillance and control mission in the Eastern Air Defense Sector, an F-22 fighter observed multiple UAP contacts at mission altitude. Moving to intercept the F-22, pilot noted multiple metallic orbs, slightly smaller than a sedan, hovering in place. Upon vectoring towards the UAPs, a smaller formation of the metallic orbs accelerated at rapid speed towards the F-22, which was unable to establish radar locks on the presumed hostile UAPs. The F-22 broke trajectory and attempted to evade, but was intercepted and boxed in by approximately three to six UAPs." And then I'll leave that there, but because I just have no more time left. Well, she's not looking, so let's just get into part of this-
Luis Elizondo (01:39:52):
I thought I would be saved by the bell.
Mr. Biggs (01:39:54):
No, no. Let's talk about Kuhnian, Lakotosian type of scientific development. And the problem that we have here is you have institutional blockage of what would be normal development of scientific ideas. And if you want to expand on that, Mr. Gold.
Nancy Mace (01:40:11):
We're over time, so be very fast, please.
Mike Gold (01:40:13):
I'll just say I'm a recovering attorney, so please take it easy on me on the science. But all breakthroughs have been heretical at first, and that's the challenge that we face, particularly with something as extraordinary as this, which is why gathering the data is so important. And I'll just end by saying, by the way, the over-classification of material is in no way limited to UAP, that is occurring throughout the government as well as the inability to get people classifications in a timely and efficient manner, and then to have those classifications be broad enough to be useful. So this is a larger issue that I hope that Congress will look at.
Nancy Mace (01:40:44):
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Biggs. I've been generous. All right, Mr. Burlison, I'll recognize you for five minutes of questions, please.
Mr. Burlison (01:40:52):
Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Elizondo, I… Or does any branch of the United States government or defense contractors possess technology?
Luis Elizondo (01:41:06):
Sir, there's documentation, that I believe was submitted for the record, that was approved for release by the US Pentagon, by the Department of Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review. And it states one of the reasons why my predecessor program, ALSAP, was trying to collect material of unknown origin.
Mr. Burlison (01:41:30):
Was it successfully collected?
Luis Elizondo (01:41:32):
It was not. What happened is that there was an aerospace contract company that requested to divest itself of the material that was collected in 1950s. Unfortunately, that didn't actually occur.
Mr. Burlison (01:41:43):
So let's dive into that. That's the Bigelow Aerospace, correct?
Luis Elizondo (01:41:48):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Burlison (01:41:49):
So there was a journalist, Christopher Sharp, who said that there was a transfer between Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Aerospace and the CIA allegedly blocked this. Can you describe that?
Luis Elizondo (01:42:00):
What I can say is that it was blocked. Why it was blocked I can only surmise. I was part of some conversations later on with some of those contract personnel where they had told all of us that is accurate. What we required was a memo from the Secretary of the Air Force in order to make that complete and that never occurred. And so when Secretary Mattis became Secretary of Defense, I decided it would be appropriate for me to try to receive a memo from him as SecDef, as Secretary of Defense, if we could not get a memo from the Secretary of the Air Force to transfer that material.
Mr. Burlison (01:42:36):
So if that material exists today, who's in possession?
Luis Elizondo (01:42:40):
Sir, I wouldn't be able to have that conversation in an open hearing. We'd probably have to have that [inaudible 01:42:45].
Mr. Burlison (01:42:44):
Okay. My question to you then is if we were in a secure setting, if we were in a SCIF, would you be able to provide or get access to something, whether it's visuals or material that we could put our hands on or biologics, that would convince me, that would show me that we have non-human origins?
Luis Elizondo (01:43:10):
Sir, that decision would not be mine. That would be to the gatekeepers still in the US government.
Mr. Burlison (01:43:15):
So if you were in our shoes, where would you go from here? How would you get that information? Lots of times we just don't know who to ask because we don't know where to go next. So if you were in our shoes, where would you go?
Luis Elizondo (01:43:28):
Well, I prefer to answer that question in a closed session. However, we established AERO for that very purpose, and unfortunately, under its previous leadership it failed. So one would hope that they would have the authorities necessary to do that. Let's hope that this new iteration of leadership will be successful.
Mr. Burlison (01:43:49):
In the discussions, it's simply about material or is there a discussion about… it was previously testified that there's biologics that were collected. Are you aware of any of that?
Luis Elizondo (01:43:59):
I am, sir, aware of the reporting that biologics have been recovered. Again, my focus was more nuts and bolts, looking at the physical aspects of these phenomenon, how they interacted around military equities and nuclear equities. So I'm certainly not a medical expert. I would not be able to probably provide you a whole lot of value in that, simply because I don't have the expertise.
Mr. Burlison (01:44:22):
Was anything described as that we have possession of bodies?
Luis Elizondo (01:44:25):
Yes, yes.
Mr. Burlison (01:44:26):
Is it multiple types of creatures or… ?
Luis Elizondo (01:44:29):
Sir, I couldn't answer that. I can tell you anecdotally that it was discussed quite a bit when I was at the Pentagon. The problem is the supposed collection of these biological samples occurred before my time, in fact, before I was even born.
Mr. Burlison (01:44:42):
And was this part of the Lockheed Martin discussion or is this, the biologics, a completely separate… ?
Luis Elizondo (01:44:50):
Separate yet related.
Mr. Burlison (01:44:51):
Okay. Has anyone made contact?
Luis Elizondo (01:44:56):
Sir, I'm sorry, could you specify?
Mr. Burlison (01:44:57):
Has there been, to your knowledge, any communication with a non-human life form?
Luis Elizondo (01:45:03):
So the term communication is a bit of a trick word because there's verbal communication, like we're having now. The problem is you also have non-verbal communication. And so I would say definitively yes, but from a non-verbal, meaning when a Russian reconnaissance aircraft comes into US airspace, we scramble two F-22s, and we are certainly communicating intent and capability. I think the same goes with this. We have these things that are being observed over controlled US airspace, and they're not really doing a good job hiding themselves. They're making it pretty obvious they have the ability to even interfere with our nuclear equities and our nuclear readiness.
Mr. Burlison (01:45:38):
Is the United States government or in our contractors, are they pulling technology from this? They're reverse engineering this?
Luis Elizondo (01:45:48):
Sir, as I previously stated, and please forgive me, I am not authorized to discuss specifics about crash retrievals. Again, I signed documentation with the US government. What I can say, was after a very thorough review process by the Pentagon, what I wrote about, and that was my limit, unfortunately, that I was given.
Mr. Burlison (01:46:08):
Thank you.
Luis Elizondo (01:46:09):
Yes, sir.
Nancy Mace (01:46:09):
Thank you. I would now like to recognize Mr. Timmons for five minutes of questioning.
Mr. Timmons (01:46:13):
Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Elizondo, you just said something interesting. You said they don't seem to be hiding, they don't seem to be hiding. The UAP sightings are becoming increasingly brash, if you will. And we've been hearing about these for years, but they've generally been isolated and not as consistent and over critical military installations. Would you say that's fair? Is this becoming increasingly… Is it happening more and more?
Luis Elizondo (01:46:43):
Great question, sir. Let me see if I can answer this for you. Certainly there seems to be some indication that they're being provocative, meaning that they're in some cases literally splitting aircraft formations right down the middle. So that's an air safety issue. The question is, is the frequency increasing? And really the response is, it depends. Yes, it's possible that there is an increase in frequency, but it's also possible that there's heightened awareness now and there's also more pervasiveness of technology out there that's collecting this information and that can record this information. So we're not quite sure yet if it's actually an increase in numbers of these events or is it that we have better equipment now that to record these things and we have a better ability, if you will, to analyze these things.
Mr. Timmons (01:47:29):
And that's my next question. It seems that a lot of these sightings occur near military installations. Do you think that these UAPs are intentionally targeting military installations or do you think that we have increased abilities to monitor surrounding the military installations?
Luis Elizondo (01:47:45):
Sir, maybe both. Part of my concern is we have something in the Department of Defense, in the intelligence community, called IPB, Initial Preparations of the Battle space. And we use equities like ISR, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and other type of equities and technologies to prep the battle space. And certainly if I was wearing my national security hat, even if there was a 2% chance that there was some sort of hostile intent here, that's 2% higher than we really can accept. And so we must figure out… There's a calculus, capabilities versus intent, in order to identify if something is a national security threat. We've seen some of the capabilities, yet we have no idea of the intent. And so this is why this discussion is somewhat, I think, problematic from a governmental perspective, because we have no idea.
Mr. Timmons (01:48:32):
Sure. Thank you. Mr. Shellenberger, you're particularly familiar with the Langley Air Force Base incident a year ago. Are you familiar?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:48:39):
Just from what I read in the news.
Mr. Timmons (01:48:40):
Just from what you've read?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:48:40):
Yeah.
Mr. Timmons (01:48:42):
I would imagine a large percentage of the American population became aware of that with the Wall Street Journal article. Would you agree with that?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:48:49):
Yes.
Mr. Timmons (01:48:50):
And were you aware of that incident prior to the Wall Street Journal article?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:48:57):
No.
Mr. Timmons (01:48:59):
To the rest of the panel, was the Wall Street Journal article the first time that y'all were made aware of what was essentially an over two week UAP frenzy over Langley Air Force Base. Were you all aware of this prior to the Wall Street Journal article? Anybody, show of hands? Yes.
Timothy Gallaudet (01:49:15):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Timmons (01:49:16):
Dr. Gallaudet, could you give me your… how did you become aware of it?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:49:21):
Well, a colleague of mine, who I referenced previously, Chris Mellon, he wrote a extensive article about this, that there were other incursions of drones over Langley before this, as well as many, many military installations over the last five decades.
Mr. Timmons (01:49:35):
And it's my understanding that there's been an ever-increasing in number, and… I'm trying to think how to say this because I wear two different hats, I'm still in the Air Force. So it seems that they're becoming increasingly brash. And the question that we really have to figure out is it China or is it non-human? And I think that's the biggest question the American people want to know. If it's China, it's scary because they have a lot of technology that we cannot explain. And if it's non-human, that's scary, because we don't know the intent. Would you say that's fair?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:50:07):
Yes, Congressman. And in fact, I really believe that we should use this hearing as a catalyst to improve and bolster our air defense capabilities and our maritime domain awareness capabilities, because obviously there are holes in it. Whether it be UAP of non-HI direction or NHI direction, or as you say, sir, China or any other adversary.
Mr. Timmons (01:50:30):
Are you all aware of any task force at the Pentagon or in the national security apparatus that's trying to assess the answer to that question?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:50:37):
At the current moment, sir, no, but this is a great point. From 2020 to 2022, there was a UAP task force in the DOD, succeeding where Mr. Elizondo worked, led by Jay Stratton, who had the first comprehensive whole of government approach to UAP, which involved pathways to declassification and to increase transparency, as well as assessing the national security risks of UAP. This was a really well-established approach and we have all advocated that something like it return.
Mr. Timmons (01:51:10):
I'm running out of time. The last thing is that we need authorities. The law enforcement, military do not have authorities to actually engage, and congress needs to act to give those authorities to local law enforcement and the military so they have clear guidelines on how to assess these issues going forward. I yield back. Thank you.
Nancy Mace (01:51:28):
Thank you. I'd like to recognize Ms. Boebert for five minutes of questioning.
Ms. Boebert (01:51:31):
Thank you, Madam Chair. Now that we have all been cautioned in this committee hearing, that the mention of Pentagon's Immaculate Constellation program could put us on a list. Well, I already find myself on many lists, I'm sure. So I speak my mind often, so why not just keep going with it? May as well just go all out and say it. The earth is flat, birds are government drones, and we've never set foot on the moon, and Joe Biden received 81 million votes in the 2020 election. So let's just see how many lists we could get on here today.
(01:52:08)
But Mr. Shellenberger, I wanted to ask you, I think I understand from this hearing that you would agree that classifying information like this is not in the best interest of the people. Is that correct?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:52:21):
Yeah, I mean with the caveat that, of course, I would support classification necessary to protect secrets essential to national security, but I think it's pretty obvious that there's over-classification.
Ms. Boebert (01:52:31):
Over-classification, yes. And so in most instances, if they can't tell us what, do you think at some point they'll at least tell us why?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:52:40):
President-elect Trump has repeatedly committed to greater transparency both on the UAP issue, on JFK files, on Covid origins and many other things. So I think that we need to make sure that the next administration is held accountable for that.
Ms. Boebert (01:52:55):
Agreed. And this is for all four of you, yes or no, please. I have many questions I want to get to. Are there any known instances of recovered materials or technologies that are not of human origin and may be connected to any advanced bioscience defense programs within the USG?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:53:17):
I don't know.
Luis Elizondo (01:53:19):
I wouldn't be able to answer that, ma'am.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:53:21):
I don't know.
Mike Gold (01:53:22):
I don't know.
Ms. Boebert (01:53:24):
Okay. So there are rumors that have come up to the Hill of a secretive project within the Department of Defense, involving the manipulation of human genetics with what is described as non-human genetic material, potentially for the enhancement of human capabilities, hybrids. Are any of you familiar with that? Yes or no?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:53:48):
No, ma'am.
Luis Elizondo (01:53:50):
I am not, ma'am.
Mr. Shellenberger (01:53:50):
I'm not.
Mike Gold (01:53:51):
No, ma'am.
Ms. Boebert (01:53:53):
Okay. I would like to know with Immaculate Constellation, how does this relate to UAP activities, Mr. Shellenberg, in oceanic environments? Are there any instances where the Navy or other marine time forces have encountered UAPs that could not be explained by known technology or natural phenomena?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:54:17):
Yeah, the Immaculate Constellation covers both terrestrial and oceanic, and there's actually a number of cases described in the report that occur in the ocean.
Ms. Boebert (01:54:26):
And do you believe that there is a concerted effort by the Pentagon to keep Congress out of the loop regarding these UAP activities, specifically in our waters?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:54:33):
Yes.
Ms. Boebert (01:54:35):
I think it's about 5% of our ocean that's actually been studied in detail by man and we've studied more of space than we had of our own oceans. And so are there any accounts of UAPs emerging from or submerging into our water which could indicate a base or presence beneath the ocean's surface?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:54:57):
I don't know about a base, but as I mentioned, I had a different source entirely describe this pretty extraordinary footage that exists of an orb coming out of the ocean and being met by another orb.
Ms. Boebert (01:55:09):
Some would say that there's multiple hot spots where we see frequent activity. So in your investigations, have you come across any data or visual evidence, like sonar readings or underwater footage, of these UAPs?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:55:23):
I have not, beyond what's in the report.
Ms. Boebert (01:55:26):
You've written about UAPs, not only in the air but in underwater, are there any specifics on what you've learned about the UAP activity in our oceans? Particularly, have you spoken with sources who have provided any evidence or eyewitness accounts of these UAPs interacting with our naval forces or being detected by our underwater surveillance systems?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:55:52):
Nothing beyond what's in the report and then the specific case that I mentioned with the orbs.
Ms. Boebert (01:55:57):
And so this report says it all, there's no other information that we are aware of regarding the activity within our waters?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:56:05):
I have other sources that have shared a significant amount of information, but they're not comfortable with me sharing it at this point.
Ms. Boebert (01:56:12):
Okay. Are there any technological capabilities observed in these oceanic UAPs that seem to defy our current understanding of physics or our engineering capabilities?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:56:29):
It seems like they all do.
Ms. Boebert (01:56:30):
Yes, I would agree with that. And my time is up, but I do appreciate your bravery, your courage for coming here and speaking today. And seems like there's still some questions that we need answers to and we will not relent until we get those to the American people. Thank you all.
Nancy Mace (01:56:45):
Thank you. I move to allow myself and the ranking member five additional minutes for questions, without objections so ordered. Mr. Elizondo, were you read into the Immaculate Constellation program?
Luis Elizondo (01:56:57):
Ma'am, I would not be authorized to confirm nor deny the existence of any ongoing or past program, especially as it relates to a special access program, either by name or tri-graph.
Nancy Mace (01:57:08):
Okay. And then does the US government or private contractors, do they work with other foreign countries, China, for example, to exchange data quote from a source, that intelligence data about UAP?
Luis Elizondo (01:57:21):
Let me see if I can answer that a little bit more generally, ma'am, if I may. We do have foreign material exploitation programs that is something that is widely known and that term itself is unclassified. How exactly that works becomes a bit sensitive. The discussion we could certainly have in a closed session if you like. We do work with international partners and allies quite often, not just in military exercises and workups, but in other intelligence efforts as well.
Nancy Mace (01:57:49):
In terms of material that's given to private contractors, is certain material given to certain contractors because of their experience? So for example, if it's related to submerged and undersea propulsion, would it go to a general contractor like General Dynamics?
Luis Elizondo (01:58:04):
Yes, ma'am. Absolutely correct. Different contractors have different levels of expertise.
Nancy Mace (01:58:08):
What's Lockheed's expertise?
Luis Elizondo (01:58:10):
Aerospace, ma'am.
Nancy Mace (01:58:11):
In the UAP space, that's all that… They wouldn't do submerged?
Luis Elizondo (01:58:16):
No, I didn't say that, ma'am.
Nancy Mace (01:58:17):
Okay.
Luis Elizondo (01:58:19):
Lockheed Martin and others do quite a bit of work both in our atmosphere, in space and even underwater. There are certain efforts to… It's a tough question you're asking. You put me on the spot here.
Nancy Mace (01:58:34):
I'm looking for the answer.
Luis Elizondo (01:58:35):
Yes, ma'am. No, they are involved in a lot. I would rather let Lockheed Martin explain the different domains that they're involved with. I'm probably not authorized to discuss that, but they are involved in a lot of different areas and domains.
Nancy Mace (01:58:47):
Admiral, flight safety risks for our pilots, based on what you've experienced and seen in your career?
Timothy Gallaudet (01:58:53):
They're extensive. In the one exercise I referred to, where I received the email that was then deleted, was the pilots. And this is worth bringing out, there are debunkers out there who have said the GoFast video was just a balloon. That was only one video that was released. There were dozens of these encounters that pilots, friends of Ryan Graves, who's in this room right here, witnessed and caused significant safety concerns. And to almost call out an exercise and shut it down, which is very compressed, and the carrier's getting ready for deployment and the pilots have to get certified, it landed on a carrier, it is extreme to say the least.
Nancy Mace (01:59:32):
All right. I have two last questions. Real quickly, Mr. Shellenberger, how do we get more whistleblowers to come forward?
Mr. Shellenberger (01:59:40):
Well, this hearing is very important and obviously I can't encourage whistleblowers to obtain information, but I can guarantee that I will protect them and go to prison to protect their identities if they come to me.
Nancy Mace (01:59:58):
Yes, sir. Okay. My last question, the first hearing we had on this, I'd never been briefed on UAPs or what they were, biologics, non-human, et cetera. How would you define, each of you in my last question, how would you define non-human biologics, non-human intelligence? What are we actually talking about? Admiral, and we'll go down the line.
Timothy Gallaudet (02:00:14):
I don't think it's a stretch, when you look at the diversity of life on this planet and the size of this universe, to think that there would be more diverse, higher-order non-human intelligence throughout the universe. And that's probably what's visiting us.
Luis Elizondo (02:00:27):
I would take the scientific approach. The definition would be the ability to react to a stimulus in a manner that requires an intellectual thought process.
Mr. Shellenberger (02:00:39):
I just don't know.
Mike Gold (02:00:42):
I think we must be modest in our assumptions that we're looking for intelligence that could be biological, it might not.
Nancy Mace (02:00:48):
Non-biological, but what non-biological intelligence? What does that mean though?
Mike Gold (02:00:53):
Artificial intelligence, ML, machines, we assume that all intelligence would be like us and every time we look out in the universe, we are humbled relative to what we don't know in terms of the forms of intelligence and what it may take. I can assure you, I probably can't answer your question, but I think the ultimate answer is going to surprise us all.
Nancy Mace (02:01:11):
And then, Mr. Garcia, you had a few closing remarks.
Mr. Garcia (02:01:14):
And I know we're about to hit votes here, so I'll be brief. Just I want to thank you all for being here. I want to thank Chairwoman Mace especially for holding this important bipartisan hearing. And I want to thank all the committee members that are interested in this topic. I think our commitment to all of you and all the folks that have contacted us, and certainly to the advocates and the pilots, is that we need to continue investigating UAPs. I think the country is owed explanations and to ensure that the safety of national security is always protected. This is a conversation and questioning that must continue. So I'm very grateful to all of you.
(02:01:49)
And I also want to just add, just personally, I think it's really important. For me, two things guide my questioning and my observations on UAPs, one is, we should always be guided by facts, science and data, and stay serious on those issues. And the second thing, is I think that we should not limit our imagination and our thoughts and our curiosity on what UAPs could actually be. And I think those two things for me are really important and I'm grateful for all of you to be here. So with that, I yield back.
Nancy Mace (02:02:24):
Okay. And we have Mr. Ogles who is on the way. He's going to be here any second, is that correct? Want to check and he'll be the last member with questions that we have today and then we're going to have votes. So we want to thank you all for being here. I want to thank Mr. Garcia and folks on both sides of the aisle for being here today and being patient. We have a lot more questions and I hope that this will open the door to more hearings in the future. I obviously would like to know how much taxpayers are spending on this. You have the right to know. But also if we're spending money on something that doesn't exist, why are we spending the money? And if it does exist, why are we hiding it from the public?
(02:02:59)
And of course, our national security is a huge issue because if there's technology that could harm us or our allies that are in the hands of our adversaries, we obviously want to stay ahead of that to the best of our ability, to ensure that that technology is not in the hands of someone who could use it against us or our allies anywhere in the world.
(02:03:20)
So Mr. Ogles, you're just in time, babe. I will recognize you for five minutes of questioning before we head on out today.
Mr. Ogles (02:03:27):
Well, thank you all for being here. And Madam Chairwoman, I'm out of breath because I sprinted to get here, but this is an important hearing. I think we all know that there's something going on. Mr. Elizondo, based on your knowledge of UAP sightings, do you believe it's fair to say that they're especially common near nuclear sites?
Luis Elizondo (02:04:03):
Yes, sir. Mr. Congressman, I absolutely am convinced of that, as are my colleagues inside the government.
Mr. Ogles (02:04:10):
And the reason why I pose that question, and this has been one of my talking points from the beginning, is Oak Ridge is in Tennessee. The so-called weather balloon that drifted, that we now know was controlled, it passed near Oak Ridge. It obviously is a sensitive site, both of interest to our adversaries and to whatever else this is. Because we know that at military installations, at sensitive locations, such as nuclear facilities, that we're seeing this take place. So the question is, what is it? Do you believe they've caused an irregular activity and why might they be interested in those sites?
Luis Elizondo (02:04:53):
Sir, in some cases actually regular activity. You'd be surprised, there's actually documentation right now that's been submitted. It's not just Oak Ridge, it's Savannah River Site, SRS, it's also Los Alamos. A lot of our sensitive R&D locations appear to be under some sort of surveillance and monitoring. Why? Well, because a lot of innovation comes out of those areas. A lot of new technologies, a lot of, if you will, disruptive technologies, that we use for our national defense, originates out of those locations. And advanced concepts and physics as well. So if I was doing any type of reconnaissance, even on a foreign adversary, that's a great target to start with.
Mr. Ogles (02:05:35):
Sure. And again, this has been one of my talking points. I do have questions. What role might the Department of Energy or its subsidiaries or affiliates have in this type of technology or possessing this type of technology, whether it's ours or others? Mr. Gallaudet, I think your testimony's been pretty clear, but would you please reiterate that, do you believe UAPs pose a threat to pilots? Excuse me.
Timothy Gallaudet (02:06:02):
Yes, sir. Absolutely. They were threatening navy pilots during the exercise that my people were involved with in 2015. And it's my understanding they're risking pilot safety, commercial and military, today.
Mr. Ogles (02:06:16):
Well, considering, and I understand that there's a need in some cases to keep certain technologies secret, but you believe that it is posing a threat to our personnel, correct?
Timothy Gallaudet (02:06:29):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Ogles (02:06:31):
So I think it's reasonable to conclude that if there's a threat to our personnel who are serving our country faithfully, that there'd be oversight.
Timothy Gallaudet (02:06:45):
100%, Congressman. And in fact, that's the one thing that we've not talked about enough during this hearing, is the fact that the government, the executive branch, not sharing with Congress what it knows about UAP, infringes on your legislative and oversight responsibilities to such an extent that's very concerning. I mean, what else are we… if you look at national security or intelligence or foreign affairs or appropriations, you all have oversight and legislative responsibility regarding those. This UAP issue may be the greatest issue of our time and it's being hid from you.
Mr. Ogles (02:07:16):
Well, I mean, and to your point, I think we've seen over the decades that we have certain adversaries like China, like Russia, that technologically speaking are not as advanced as us. That they lack some of the lethality that we have. And that we've seen that they've gone after our technologies, and in some cases succeeded, in particular with missile technology. And so again, my concern, whether this technology emanates from us or otherworldly, that we know that we possess it. And where's the accountability? Where are the stop gaps? What are the guarantees, if this were to fall in enemy hands, that it isn't immediately weaponized against us? And I'll say this, it is clear from my experience and what I've seen, that there is something out there. The question is, is it ours, is it someone else's or is it otherworldly? And Madam Chairman, I would posit that as the legislative body, as the regulatory body, we must know. And anyone who prevents us from gaining access to that information, I would consider that criminality. Because we have US personnel who may very well be in harm's way. We have technology that ultimately may threaten our very existence. With that, Madam Chairman, I thank you for your indulgence and I yield back.
Nancy Mace (02:08:43):
Thank you, Mr. Ogles. And with that and without objection, all members will have five legislative days within which to submit materials and to submit additional written questions for the witnesses, which will be forwarded to the witnesses for their response. If there's no further business, without objection, the subcommittee stands adjourned.
Timothy Gallaudet (02:09:13):
Nice job.
Mr. Ogles (02:09:13):
Appreciate you coming here.
Timothy Gallaudet (02:09:14):
Well done, sir. Thank you for that…