A new effort in Congress to make public the government's files on UFOs is gathering bipartisan support, with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaking out in favor of the initiative.
Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday spearheaded a bipartisan effort for an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would compel the release of information regarding unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP). Under the amendment, the National Archives and Records Administration would create a collection of records pertaining to the phenomenon for immediate public release, unless a review board deemed it necessary for a given record to be kept classified.
Efforts to compel greater disclosure of information about UFOs and similar subjects have gained considerable traction in recent years as reports emerged and documents have been declassified revealing the extent of the U.S. government's tracking of the phenomenon. In 2021, a host of documents were declassified that revealed sightings of UFOs and UAP, largely from Navy personnel, dating to 2004.
"For decades, many Americans have been fascinated by objects mysterious and unexplained, and it's long past time they get some answers," Schumer said in a statement announcing the amendment.
"The American public has a right to learn about technologies of unknown origins, non-human intelligence and unexplainable phenomena. We are not only working to declassify what the government has previously learned about these phenomena but to create a pipeline for future research to be made public."
In a Monday appearance on Fox News, McCarthy was asked about the initiative and voiced support for the notion of providing greater information about the phenomenon to the American people.
"I think if we had found a UFO, I think the Department of Defense would tell us, because they'd probably wanna request more money," McCarthy said. "I'd love to see what other facts and information we have. I'm very supportive of letting the American public see what we have."
The NDAA amendment currently has the support of Republican Senators Marco Rubio of Florida, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Todd Young of Indiana. On the Democratic side are Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.
"There is a lot we still don't know about these UAPs, and that is a big problem," said Rubio, who is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "We've taken some important steps over the last few years to increase transparency and reduce stigmas, but more needs to be done. This is yet another step in that direction and one that I hope will spur further cooperation from the executive branch."
Newsweek reached out to the National Archives press office via email for comment.
