Bipartisan push to compel release of UFO records gains momentum in US: Report

Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader from New York, is leading the charge in proposing legislation that aims to establish a commission with extensive powers to declassify government records related to UFOs and extraterrestrial affairs.

As per a report by The New York Times, the objective behind this initiative is to compel the government to disclose all available information regarding unidentified phenomena, in an effort to address conspiracy theories and alleviate concerns that essential information is being concealed from the public.

 The proposed measure presents an opportunity to shed light on the subject and potentially debunk unfounded speculation surrounding UFOs, fostering greater transparency and understanding.

The report further noted that Senator Chuck Schumer plans to introduce the legislation as an amendment to the annual defense policy bill, and it enjoys bipartisan support. Republican Senators Mike Rounds from South Dakota and Marco Rubio from Florida are among those supporting the initiative. Senator Rubio has been a proponent of legislation that compelled the government to disclose reports on unidentified phenomena.

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There is also a likelihood of support in the House, as they included a narrower provision in their version of the annual defence bill, urging the Pentagon to disclose documents relating to unidentified aerial phenomena. The widespread support for these measures signifies a growing consensus among lawmakers to encourage transparency and disclosure regarding UFOs and related matters.

Under the Senate measure, government agencies are required to compile their records on unidentified phenomena and submit them to a review board within 300 days. The composition of the nine-person review board would be determined by President Biden, pending Senate approval.

The aim is to appoint individuals who would advocate for disclosure while ensuring the protection of sensitive intelligence collection methods. This approach seeks to strike a balance between promoting transparency and safeguarding classified information in the process of investigating and disclosing information on unidentified phenomena.

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The public's fascination with UFOs has long been significant, but it has intensified further in recent times. This increase in interest can be attributed to the release of a series of videos showcasing unidentified phenomena captured by military sensors, as well as testimonies from naval aviators recounting perplexing encounters during training missions.

While certain videos released by the Pentagon have been clarified as optical illusions or drones, others continue to defy explanation, fueling extensive speculation and discussion. The unexplained nature of these phenomena has sparked curiosity and prompted ongoing investigations and analysis in an attempt to unravel their origins and characteristics.

Under congressional pressure, the Pentagon and intelligence agencies have compiled numerous reports on unexplained phenomena. Officials have attributed most of these incidents to mundane causes such as airborne debris, Chinese surveillance activities, or misidentified weather balloons. American officials have consistently maintained that the collected videos and materials do not constitute evidence of extraterrestrial visitation.

The exact number of undisclosed documents within government archives remains uncertain. Intelligence agencies have reiterated that they have released all the material they possess on the subject. Requests for information on UFOs inundate their freedom of information offices, yet the responses received often state that the archives have already been made available to the public.

However, more recent investigations, particularly those conducted by the Pentagon, have not been disclosed to the public, causing frustration among lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties, according to staff members of Senator Schumer.

For instance, the Pentagon has undertaken extensive studies of videos captured by naval aviators and other military personnel, but these findings have remained classified. While some information about these videos has been released, such as during a recent NASA meeting, there is a reluctance to disclose further details. In certain cases, officials believe that revealing additional information could expose the capabilities of classified optics and sensors.

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Additionally, when no definitive conclusions have been reached, officials have been hesitant to share details regarding their investigations or hypotheses.

The withholding of comprehensive information about the incidents that are not fully comprehended has contributed to incessant speculation on social media, television specials, and public discussions. This lack of transparency has created a fertile ground for ongoing debates and conjecture.

The proposed legislation draws inspiration from the commission that oversaw the release of information pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. While the effectiveness of that legislation, passed in 1992, has been imperfect, the disclosure and withholding of documents have continued into the Biden administration.

Nonetheless, the review board established for the Kennedy assassination has successfully compelled the release of thousands of pages of documents. Lawmakers are hopeful that a similar approach can be effective in the case of UFO-related information, thereby shedding light on the subject and providing a framework for sharing knowledge with the public, New York Times reported.

As per Senator Schumer's proposed legislation, the president would have the authority to postpone the release of certain materials selected by the commission if national security concerns arise. However, the measure would set a timeline for the eventual disclosure of documents and establish the principle that the default presumption should be in favor of making the material available to the public.

“You now will have a process through which we will declassify this material,” said Allison Biasotti, a spokeswoman for Schumer.

Government officials have consistently denied possessing any remnants of a crashed alien spacecraft or any manufactured materials of extraterrestrial origins. However, certain former officials have contested these assertions, believing that the government is withholding information, New York Times said.

The proposed legislation would likely result in the release of additional details regarding the government's examination of unidentified materials. However, it also grants the federal government the authority to claim ownership of any alleged crashed spaceships held privately or by corporations, even though the existence of such objects is highly unlikely.

Unlike former President Barack Obama, President Biden has not made direct statements specifically addressing the topic of unidentified phenomena. However, there have been reports that President Biden ordered the shooting down of two unidentified objects and a Chinese spy balloon.

Following this incident, the president emphasized that he would not apologize for taking action against the spy balloon and affirmed that the United States would continue to adjust its strategies in responding to unknown objects.