Who?
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) — Co-chair, Congressional UAP Caucus
What?
Burchett joined Ask a Pol’s Live Listening with Laslo session on our Discord channel. The congressman wasn’t able to log into Discord, so we called an audible, got out some duct tape and Laslo moderated questions from Ask a Pol subscribers with the congressman on speakerphone.
Ask a Pol subscriber asks: “Are you crafting a whistleblower protection measure?”
“Yeah. We talked about that,” Burchett tells Ask a Pol subscribers. “We’re working with some legal people and try to get something a little better than what's out there…”
Key Burchett:
David Grusch gave a list of cooperative and hostile witnesses, what have they done with this list?
“That'll be part of the next hearing, some of those folks. I'm afraid to give out too many names, because, as you know, what happened the last time we had like 12 people that were coming in. We ended up with three,” Burchett exclusively tells Ask a Pol subscribers. “We had some people that were scared…”
Confirmed: UAP Caucus wants Tim Gallaudet to testify
“…there's a Navy admiral who's been real vocal here lately,” Burchett says. “He was involved in in an incident — I can talk about it now cause he's talked about it on the national news — there was a sighting and he was in this chain of information…”
Any update on UAP Caucus trying to hire David Grusch?
“We are not cleared to have any budget like that,” Burchett says. “But I don't know what that would that would get us anyway…”
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Burchett remains dubious of Schumer’s UAPDA
“I don't think that's a good idea,” Burchett says.
What do you make of Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) introducing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s UAPDA amendment to the NDAA?
“I just I don't see it doing much. He’s a Democrat,” Burchett says. “Again, I just want disclosure. I don't want all the bureaucracy. I'm sick of it. 50 pages or 60 pages of bureaucracy to say ‘release it.’ Obviously, they're putting something in there where they're not going to be releasing it…”
ICYMI
Laslo & Burchett: ROUGH RUNDOWN
Please make sure and check the tape!
On UAP Caucus questioning secretary of Department of Energy (roughly 2:08 mark)
“She’s lying or she's inept,” Rep. Burchett tells Ask a Pol subscribers.
Any update on next UFO hearing? (roughly 5:34 mark)
“We just got to get a set date and start focusing on that,” Burchett says. “I'm going to be working on that this week.”
UAP Caucus wants to hear from Tim Gallaudet (roughly 8:30 mark)
“…there's a Navy admiral who's been real vocal here lately,” Burchett says. “He was involved in in an incident — I can talk about it now cause he's talked about it on the national news — there was a sighting and he was in this chain of information…”
Any update on UAP Caucus trying to hire David Grusch? (around 12:10 mark)
“We are not cleared to have any budget like that,” Burchett says. “But I don't know what that would that would get us anyway…”
UAPDA (around 14:44 and again around 18:29 mark)
“I don't think that's a good idea,” Burchett says. “All they gotta do is say ‘US national defense’ and then they stop everything. And that's, you know, sort of where we're at…”
What do you make of Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) introducing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s UAPDA amendment to the NDAA? (around 20:00 mark)
“I just I don't see it doing much. He’s a Democrat,” Burchett says. “Again, I just want disclosure. I don't want all the bureaucracy. I'm sick of it. 50 pages or 60 pages of bureaucracy to say ‘release it.’ Obviously, they're putting something in there where they're not going to be releasing it…”
Burchett’s over SCIF briefings (20:53 mark)
“You bring somebody into the SCIF and they tell you something, then it is secret, and they're not allowed to [discuss it],” Burchett says. “And that is the way they lock this stuff down…”
Question on Burchett’s reelect & UAPs
Exchange roughly 21:44 mark.
Question on unaccounted for Pentagon spending and UAPs
Exchange roughly 22:37 mark.
Question on registration of UAP Caucus as official congressional caucus
Exchange roughly 26:30 mark.
Question on whether it’s legal for lawmakers to divulge classified information while speaking on the House or Senate floor
Exchange roughly 27:20 mark.
Question: “What about field hearings?” (roughly 28:47)
“Anybody can do a field. But it's getting people to show. Where you would do it,” Burchett says. “The trick is to do it someplace where they don't want you there, and you're going to disclose some valuable information by doing it. And we talked about it, but I just don't know that that’s where we need to be. I'm going to have to have another meeting. Since you’ve given me so many ideas…”
“Are you crafting a whistleblower protection measure?” (roughly 30:02 mark)
“Yeah. We talked about that,” Burchett tells Ask a Pol subscribers. “We’re working with some legal people and try to get something a little better than what's out there…”
Feels like less pushback this year than last to a UAP hearing? (roughly 33:26 mark)
“Because the UFO community stood up, and they stood up strong on this thing,” Burchett tells Ask a Pol subscribers.
Ask a Pol audience member asks:
Grusch gave a list of cooperative and hostile witnesses, what have they done with this list? (roughly 36:22 mark)
“That'll be part of the next hearing, some of those folks,” Burchett replies. “I'm afraid to give out too many names, because, as you know, what happened the last time we had like 12 people that were coming in. We ended up with three,” Burchett recalls. “We had some people that were scared….”
UAP subcommittee? (roughly 37:09 mark)
“It's gonna be tough, you know, with elections going on. So I'm a little concerned about that. I don’t want to put any of our members in jeopardy because of this…,” Burchett says. “The UAP/ UFO community, they have a wealth of knowledge…but they're not, you know, they're not setting the woods on fire to help us get elected here.”
How important is this issue, really? (roughly 38:29)
“It's incredibly important. Tens of millions of your tax dollars are being spent on an issue that they say does not exist. And when government thinks that we can handle it, that's when we really need to double down and find out exactly what they're doing with that money, and what's going on,” Burchett tells Ask a Pol subscribers.
Best BBQ in Knoxville? (roughly 39:29 mark)
(response initially inaudible) Burchett’s backyard with his homemade barbecue sauce, of which he divulges a rough recipe.
“It reminds me of my momma, and that’s the best there is,” Burchett says.
Laslo signing off (roughly 42:31 mark)
“Thank you so much for working with us through all the glitches,” Laslo says. “I called the audible and I just moderated your questions, so I know I missed a lot of questions, please send them in, because I want to ask your questions to your lawmakers. Let's keep these jackasses accountable…”
I could write off Burchett speaking out against the UAPDA last year, but not again. This guy is either a snake or a moron.
I'm so sad I missed this. I just listened to the whole thing. I admire Burchett for sticking to his principles even if I don't completely agree with them. in the case of the UAPDA, I think the panel was a good compromise between NatSec and declassing potentially world-changing info. However, there is something to be said for all the bureaucratic nonsense that just adds needless layers and more chances for obfuscations.
If you get a chance, I would love to get Moscowitz on here! I feel like he has a completely different, but equally valid, perspective than Burchett.
Please ask any congressman you encounter who is a sponsor of the 2024 UAPDA if, as written, this act would supercede (obviate) the Invention Secrecy Act of 1951 . Ref https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1d9oljc/invention_secrecy_act/
Thanks.
For the record.....Published June 29, 2021 by Freedom of the Press Foundation
Fifty years ago today, Senator Mike Gravel read the Pentagon Papers into the official record. More lawmakers should follow his lead.
Fifty years ago today, with the New York Times and the Washington Post tied up in the Supreme Court over whether they could report on the leaked Pentagon Papers, a young Senator named Mike Gravel was taking matters into his own hands.
Gravel had just obtained a second copy of the Pentagon Papers from whistleblower (and, much later, Freedom of the Press Foundation co-founder) Daniel Ellsberg, through a midnight curbside handoff from Ben Bagdikian, an editor and journalist at the Post. In an act of remarkable bravery, Gravel convened a subcommittee meeting, and read from the Papers until one A.M., culminating in an emotional description of the violence of war. He then inserted 4,100 pages of the document into the Congressional Record.
In the morning, the Supreme Court cleared the Times and the Post to continue publishing, in one of the most important press freedom decisions in the court's history. h/t Joe Murgia
Burchett seems willing to claim to support uap disclosure. But he repeatedly puts forward bills that won't do anything to help. He also insults and degrades bipartisan bills that would do something.... why do people believe he is pro disclosure?
Great reporting matt
Omg Laslo, thank you, more of this Format please. 🙏🏻
Maybe Luna, other congressional reps or Rubio wants to chat?
Thanks for putting this together Matt!
I'm slowly losing what little confidence I had in Burchett. He always seems more eager to give excuses for why his efforts will fail (corruption, excessive secrecy), than to share a strategy that he feels might be successful.
It's clear Burchett hasn't read Garcia's UAPDA regarding the formation of a UAP Review Board, which would report directly to the House Oversight Committee, of which Burchett is a member (the board would also report to the Senate Homeland Security Committee) This Board could potentially disclose some of the information that the UAP Caucus is seeking.
Additionally, Burchett always touts his UAP disclosure amendment in the House NDAA FY24 (sec. 1090) as pushing for total disclosure, but it's a really poorly written amendment, and I wish the media would call him on it. His amendment allows two huge loopholes for preventing disclosure, assigns no responsibility or methods of enforcement, and leverages no other existing US codes such as those granting whistleblower protection. It's clear Burchett dislikes bureaucracy, but he continually appears out of his depth within the workings of congress on this issue.
Great questions!
Brilliant news. Can’t wait to find out when the hearing will be and who these witnesses are.