Current:Home > MarketsUS Congress hopes to 'pull back the curtain' on UFOs in latest hearing: How to watch -WealthRise Academy
US Congress hopes to 'pull back the curtain' on UFOs in latest hearing: How to watch
View
Date:2025-04-15 20:43:05
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 elagatta@gannett.com
veryGood! (48712)
Related
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- 2 lawsuits blame utility for eastern Washington fire that killed man and burned hundreds of homes
- Long a city that embraced cars, Paris is seeing a new kind of road rage: Bike-lane traffic jams
- Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker fired for inappropriate behavior
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Turn it down? Penn State practices without music to prepare for road game at Northwestern
- FTC Chair Lina Khan's lawsuit isn't about breaking up Amazon, for now
- Court rejects Donald Trump’s bid to delay trial in wake of fraud ruling that threatens his business
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Leave No Blank Spaces Between Them in First PDA Photo
Ranking
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty in federal court to bribery and extortion
- Latest fight in the Alex Murdaugh case is over who controls the convicted murderer’s assets
- Cheese lovers rejoice: The CurderBurger is coming back to Culver's menu for a limited time
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- How long has it been since the Minnesota Twins won a playoff game?
- Owner had pulled own child out of Bronx day care over fentanyl concerns: Sources
- 2 bodies were found in a search for a pilot instructor and a student in a downed plane
Recommendation
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
Her son died, and she felt alone. In her grief, she found YouTube.
M.S. Swaminathan, who helped India’s farming to grow at industrial scale, dies at 98
FDA panel overwhelmingly votes against experimental ALS treatment pushed by patients
Travis Hunter, the 2
Miguel Cabrera’s career coming to close with Tigers, leaving lasting legacy in MLB and Venezuela
Bank that handles Infowars money appears to be cutting ties with Alex Jones’ company, lawyer says
Menendez will address Senate colleagues about his bribery charges as calls for his resignation grow