Current:Home > MyUS Congress hopes to 'pull back the curtain' on UFOs in latest hearing: How to watch -WealthRoots Academy
US Congress hopes to 'pull back the curtain' on UFOs in latest hearing: How to watch
Indexbit Exchange View
Date:2025-04-06 18:15:07
Congress is prepared to revisit the topic of UFOs once again in a Wednesday hearing that will be open to the public.
More than a year has passed since U.S. House members last heard testimony about strange craft whizzing through the nation's airspace unchecked, as well as claims about the Pentagon's reticence to divulge much of what it knows. While steps have been made toward transparency, some elected leaders say progress has been stymied by the Department of Defense's reluctance to declassify material on UFOs, which the government now refers to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP.)
The upcoming hearing is being jointly held by Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) and Glenn Grothman (R-Wisconsin,) who was a sponsor behind a bipartisan bill to allow commercial airline pilots to report UAP sightings to the government.
In a press release on the House Oversight Committee's website, the hearing is described as an "attempt to further pull back the curtain on secret UAP research programs conducted by the U.S. government, and undisclosed findings they have yielded."
"The American people are tired of the obfuscation and refusal to release information by the federal government," Mace and Grothman said in a joint statement. "Americans deserve to understand what the government has learned about UAP sightings, and the nature of any potential threats these phenomena pose."
Congress is revisiting UFOs:Here's what's happened since last hearing on extraterrestrials
When is the UFO hearing?
The hearing will take place at 11:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.
How to watch Congress discuss UFOs
The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed on the House Oversight Committee's website.
Watch the hearing below:
Who are the witnesses testifying?
Four witnesses are expected to offer testimony Wednesday. They include:
- Timothy Gallaudet, an American oceanographer and retired Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy who is now the CEO of Ocean STL Consulting;
- Luis Elizondo, a former military intelligence official who resigned and went public in October 2017 after 10 years of running a Pentagon program to investigate UFO sightings;
- Michael Gold, a former NASA associate administrator of space policy and partnerships who is part of an independent NASA UAP study team;
- Michael Shellenberger, journalist and president of the Breakthrough Institute.
What happened after Congress' last UFO hearing?
Congressional leaders last heard testimony in July 2023 about unidentified craft flying through U.S. air space in ways military witnesses believed were beyond human technology.
Former Pentagon intelligence official David Grusch also offered sensational testimony about an alleged shadowy "multi-decade" Pentagon program to retrieve and study not only downed spacecraft, but extraterrestrial pilots. Without offering hard evidence, Grusch accused the Pentagon under oath of being aware of extraterrestrial activity since the 1930s and hiding the program from Congress while misappropriating funds to operate it.
While the Pentagon has denied the assertion, its office to investigate UFOs revealed a new website last September in the wake of the hearing where the public can access declassified information about reported sightings.
Later that same month, NASA releasing a long-awaited UFO report declaring that no evidence existed to confirm the extraterrestrial origins of unidentified craft. However, as what Administrator Bill Nelson said was a signal of the agency's transparency, NASA appointed a director of UAP research.
In that time, the hearing has fueled a wave of docuseries, opportunistic marketing campaigns and speculation about UFOs, reigniting a pop culture obsession that first came to focus after the infamous 1947 Roswell incident.
Amid the heightened public interest, legislation has also been targeted at UAP transparency, with one seeking to create a civilian reporting mechanism, and one directing the executive branch to declassify certain records.
Are there really UFOs? Sign up for USA TODAY's Checking the Facts newsletter.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
veryGood! (766)
Related
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Endangered species list grows by 2,000. Climate change is part of the problem
- Heart of Hawaii’s historic Lahaina, burned in wildfire, reopens to residents and business owners
- Wind speeds peaked at 150 mph in swarm of Tennessee tornadoes that left 6 dead, dozens injured
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Police responding to burglary kill a man authorities say was armed with knife
- Skier triggers avalanche on Mount Washington, suffers life-threatening injury
- Delaware Supreme Court says out-of-state convictions don’t bar expungement of in-state offenses
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Cowboys-Eagles Sunday Night Football highlights: Dallas gets playoff picture-altering win
Ranking
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Dak Prescott: NFL MVP front-runner? Cowboys QB squarely in conversation after beating Eagles
- Skier triggers avalanche on Mount Washington, suffers life-threatening injury
- Kensington Palace releases video showing Princess of Wales and her kids packing gift bags for needy
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Hong Kong leader praises election turnout as voter numbers hit record low
- Imprisoned accomplice in shooting of then-NFL player’s girlfriend dies
- Work to resume at Tahiti’s legendary Olympic surfing site after uproar over damage to coral reef
Recommendation
Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
Israel continues attacks across Gaza as hopes for cease-fire fade
2 high school students in Georgia suffered chemical burns, hospitalized in lab accident
Patrick Mahomes rips NFL officiating after Kadarius Toney' offsides penalty in Chiefs' loss
Small twin
Man filmed wielding folding chair in riverfront brawl pleads guilty to misdemeanor
Backlash to House testimony shines spotlight on new generation of Ivy League presidents
Hong Kong leader praises election turnout as voter numbers hit record low