By Toby Martinez
Roswell Daily Record
A classified briefing held with senators to address public concerns about the recent shooting down of three unidentified flying objects has left lawmakers even more confused and speculative.
Following the briefing Tuesday, Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy claimed that there was “unity in confusion” among the senators, specifically regarding the three UFOs taken down by U.S. military fighters. The event, which was expected to bring clarity, has only added to the already growing uncertainty surrounding the incident.
After the briefing, Sen. Kennedy shared his takeaways from the meeting. He revealed that the sightings have been happening for years. The senators were unsure of what the objects were and if there were more out there. Kennedy expressed that while they have shot some down, the challenging terrain made it difficult for officials to locate them.
Kennedy’s call for more information has been echoed by the public, who have been speculating about the possible involvement of extraterrestrials. The White House recently confirmed that aliens were not behind the sightings. Despite this, Kennedy believes that the director of national intelligence should provide the public with more information without divulging classified information.
“Now that this cow is out of the barn, the President and the Director of National Intelligence need to address it. They need to explain to the American people if they know, and I’m not sure they know, if they know they aren’t telling us, what these things are, who put them there, and do pose a threat to the American people, and if the answer is no, how do they know that?
“The only think I feel confident saying right now is, if you are confused you understand the situation perfectly,” Kennedy said. The lack of clear information from officials has raised concerns internationally, with Kennedy’s warning to “lock your doors tonight” only fueling speculation.
Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) has been a key proponent for increased attention to UFOs, currently referred to as unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP), and their potential national security implications. In 2020, Senator Heinrich helped secure language in the Intelligence Authorization Act, directing the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to submit a report to Congress on UAPs, including observed airborne objects that have not been identified.
Following the release of the report in June 2021, Senator Heinrich and his colleagues expressed the need for Congress to “devote real resources and take a unified approach to gathering data and understanding UAPs.” In response, Senator Heinrich worked alongside Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and a bipartisan group of colleagues to secure the inclusion of the UAP amendment in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The language established an office that replaced the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and provided access to Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) data related to UAPs.
As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Heinrich continued to advocate for increased attention to UAPs, working with colleagues to secure the inclusion of additional UAP language in the Fiscal Year 2023 Intelligence Authorization Act. The provisions add more authority and structure to the Office, now known as the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, increase Congressional oversight, mandate a review of historical IC involvement, and require greater IC and other federal agency participation in the work of the Office, including the Department of Energy and federal labs.
Heinrich released a statement after Tuesday’s classified Senate briefing saying, “Americans don’t want speculation on UAPs, they want answers. That’s why I came together with a bipartisan group of senators to ramp up the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community’s ability to provide Americans with the transparency they deserve. The latest unclassified report on UAPs lists over 360 new detections. However, nearly half of the detections remain uncharacterized and unattributed. Whether it’s a blip on the radar or, yes, a balloon in our skies, the Defense and Intelligence communities need to use the resources Congress has provided to deliver, in a timely fashion, solid analysis and public-facing reports about any health or national security implications that may be presented.”
