By Toby Martinez
and Shane Frakes
Roswell Daily Record
Cole Stevens, press secretary for the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, confirmed Wednesday to the Roswell Daily Record that the Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee will be holding a new open hearing on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP).
In a follow-up call, a staffer confirmed to the Roswell Daily Record that Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), will be speaking at the hearing on April 19.
This announcement comes after Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), chair of the subcommittee, expressed frustration publicly during a March 28 meeting on the Department of Defense budget request for the Fiscal year 2024 over the failure to fully fund the AARO for a second year in a row. In a previous statement to the Roswell Daily Record, Sen. Gillibrand said, “The lack of full funding for AARO is a significant concern. We need to ensure that our government is taking the UAP issue seriously and dedicating the necessary resources to improve our understanding and response capabilities.”
The new hearings will aim to address the concerns surrounding UAPs and the need for increased transparency and investigation. Sen. Gillibrand, a vocal advocate for further examination of the UAP phenomenon, has been pushing for more funding for the AARO and greater openness from the Department of Defense (DoD) regarding UAP incidents.
In her previous comments during the hearing to Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Michael J. McCord on March 28, Sen. Gillibrand stated, “Mr. McCord, I was disappointed for the second year in a row that the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution office, or AARO, was not fully funded in the department’s budget request. Understanding that we cannot get into specific budget figures in this forum, can you discuss why AARO was not fully funded?”
These hearings will provide an opportunity for lawmakers and officials to discuss the importance of funding the AARO and address the growing concerns about UAPs over U.S. airspace. As the UAP issue gains traction, both in the government and public spheres, the hearings may shed light on the challenges and potential solutions surrounding this enigmatic phenomenon.
