As reported by UAPCheck News, the first meeting in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), initially solely intended for Representatives Tim Burchett, Jared Moskowitz, and Anna Paulina Luna, took place on October 27, 2023, with more attendees than originally planned. The purpose of this meeting was to obtain information held by David Grusch, but the outcome was more than mixed.
The interview conducted by Matt Laslo for “Ask A Pol” and Joe Khalil for NewsNation following the briefing provided an opportunity for the legislative representative to express their frustration.
Frustration
Representative Luna stated that she had not learned anything new, but that they were still working on establishing a select committee with the power to summon witnesses. She is very optimistic about this now that a new Speaker of the House has been elected. Anna Paulina Luna further explained that Congress should have oversight of these programs, but, that they are still being denied access to them in practice.
Responding to a question from Matt Laslo for "Ask a Pol," she said that even members of the Armed Services Committees did not have access. She believes this meeting was pointless, and explained that the future select committee would need a level of access to information equivalent to that of the Inspector General to do its job. She stated that they are still trying to access the information provided by Grusch and will attempt to have a new public hearing.
Representative Jared Moskowitz then responded that they did not have the necessary credentials to access this information. It should be noted that this implies that such information does indeed exist, but Jared Moskowitz prefers not to go that far. He further explained that they should have the opportunity to review copies of complaints sent to the Inspector General, but that these have not been sent to him.
Representative Tim Buchett
Representative Burchett declared that he had not learned anything new on the subject. He explained that the security apparatus, created for the Manhattan Project during World War II, is still in use today to protect secrets. This echoes the statements of James Lacatski, the former head of the AAWSAP UFO study program, who explained in an interview reported by UAPCheck News the need for a secrecy structure to prevent information leaks.
Tim Burchett stated that during the classified interview, the inspector often responded with "I don't know." Regarding this as a new layer of secrecy, he emphasized that the Inspector General's representatives themselves were unaware of the information sought by Congress. He believes this maneuver was deliberate. At present, they do not know who holds this information, but he stated that he would continue to pursue the matter with bipartisan support from Congress.
He then stated that the Inspector General's representatives did not refute any of David Grusch's statements. He thought the next step would be a new hearing with the Department of Defense. Not only that, but he added that it was necessary for someone from a private company to come forward with tangible evidence to advance the situation. According to Tim Burchett, speaking to Ask A Pol, it is currently blocked because Congress cannot change the classification level, adding that the few individuals in Congress with this level of information access do not want to share it to maintain their exclusivity.
Unlike Representative Luna, he is pessimistic about the creation of a select committee because it would require approval from their hierarchy, who could be influenced by alleged gatekeepers. He further explained that if there is a hidden program in Congress, it would be hidden within private companies, rendering all Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests futile. It would also be hidden from congressional oversight, despite being funded by public funds.
Responding to a question from Matt Laslo for "Ask A Pol," Tim Burchett mentionned that he had already spoken to the new Speaker of the House to ascertain his perspective on the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).
Representative Burlison
Regarding the fact that David Grusch was denied access to the SCIF due to the lack of a security clearance, Representative Burlison responded that he was working on an amendment to reinstate it. He believes it was also necessary to have the Department of Defense and the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) present during briefings. He clarified that he and Tim Burchett did not interpret what people saw in the same way, without questioning their testimony. Furthermore, he wondered what it was and how much the United States had spent on this technology. For him, someone had discovered something, some form of advanced propulsion, a technology with the potential to improve their lives, but it was clearly in an experimental phase.
Burlison concluded the interview by stating that the briefing had provided some clarification on the subject, but that he could not say more. He added that having a select committee would grant them the "Need-to-Know," the necessity of having access to information. According to hmi, the lack of a "Need-to-Know" is what has allowed authorities to deny access so far.
Per, Joe Khalil, the DoD Inspector General has commented:
"The Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General is not responsible for determining the classification of the information in our oversight work, nor do we determine the level of security clearances for congressional leaders.
The DoD OIG is committed to being as transparent and communicative as possible with our congressional leaders, and welcome any further opportunity to discuss our body of work."
Rep. Burlinson's hint at a discovery of a revolutionary propulsion system makes one wonder if the alleged efforts of DOD to slow the disclosure process are related. Is DOD concerned about potential civil unrest and ontologic shock? Or is it simply to keep their discovery a secret from adversary nations? The next SCIF briefing, which could take place in the coming weeks, could reveal more.
The UAPCheck News' editorial team thanks Matt Laslo and Joe Khalil for their remarkable work.
Main picture: Rep. Tim Burchett, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Rep. Robert Garcia, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, USG
