Who?
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) — Ranking Member, Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets
LISTEN: Laslo & Garcia
Ask a Pol asks:
What are you Democrats hoping to do with your slots on this new Secrets Task Force?
Key Garcia:
“I’m not interested in going down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories,” Rep. Garcia exclusively tells Ask a Pol. “I’m interested in serious work based on evidence, facts and our ability to declassify important information. That’s what’s most important.”
Caught our ear:
“The New Jersey delegation is right in being concerned and wanting more information. I’ve always believed that we’re always better off when we have more transparency and more openness than less,” Garcia tells us. “The public always deserves the truth, and it’s in no one’s best interest to keep information, you know, hidden, especially if it’s not a national security issue.”
ICYMI: New Jersey lawmakers say Trump admin lying…
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Robert Garcia
SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo runs into Rep. Robert Garcia and a couple aides as they’re making their way from the House Office Buildings to the US Capitol via an underground tunnel.
Matt Laslo: “So, like, an hour after we talked, they released the names?”
Robert Garcia: “Oh…”
Laslo laughs.
ICYMI — what Laslo’s referring to
Matt Laslo: “What are you guys hoping to do with your slots on this Secrets Task Force?”
RG: “Well, I mean I think — first of all, I think that it’s important that these are treated as serious topics...”
The mini entourage runs into tourists.
RG: “Oh, sorry.”
RG: “They are serious topics. And I don’t think that we should be — I’m not interested in going down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. I’m interested in, like, serious work based on evidence, facts and our ability to declassify important information. And I think that’s what’s most important.”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “And I feel like we’re folks that are a little bit interested in — or been interested in, particularly, making sure that we’re having a responsible and thoughtful conversation about UAPs.”
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ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “And hopefully in all the iterations, it’s important that we just take a responsible approach.”
ML: “Yeah?”
Capitol custodial staff is cleaning up a water spill near the elevator Garcia was aiming for.
ML: “And, like, do you get nervous that the focus is JFK and Epstein, kinda initially? Does that make it feel like it’s less serious?”
RG: “I think that, obviously, uhm….”
Garcia’s looking for another route in the Capitol basement to the House floor.
RG: “Where’s the other — I want to take the other stairs…”
RG: “I think that, obviously…”
Garcia starts heading down the wrong hallway in the Capitol’s confusing basement.
ML: “Actually, sir, I just went down there with Chair [Bennie] Thomson, that’s — the stairs are right here to the left.”
RG: “Yea, yea, yea.”
RG: “Excuse me. I beg your pardon.”
After backtracking, custodial staff still cleaning the floor, direct us another route.
RG: “Sorry, sorry. Can I get through?”
Custodian: “You was going the right way the first time.”
ML: “Where is it?”
Custodian: “Make a left. You go — it’s through that path right there by the ladies bathroom.”
Garcia turns to Laslo.
RG: “You’re just trying to keep me longer!”
Laslo laughs.
RG: “Just kidding.”
Garcia gets his bearings.
RG: “Okay. First, to be clear, Republicans are in the driver’s seat. They control the agenda, and so, we’re going to be there as Democrats to observe and to be — and to participate.”
RG: “I think it’s this way. I’ve never come this way.”
ML: “I know. I’ve been here 19 years and I’ve never come this way!”
The mini entourage is now traversing a hidden staircase up to the first floor of the Capitol.
RG: “You know, but I think our approach is going to be guided by the facts and by — you know, to be responsible and take these matters seriously. All that stuff.”
ML: “And now, like right outta the gates we saw the administration claim that all the drones over Jersey are were approved by the FAA. Everyone in the Jersey delegation says all the briefings they got from [fmr. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro] Mayorkas on down, negate that.”
ICYMI
RG: “Yeah. Again, I think, like…”
Laslo’s in back of Garcia as they head up the stairs.
ML: “Is that something you might want the committee to focus on?”
RG: “I think that the New Jersey delegation is right in being concerned and wanting more information. I’ve always believed that we’re always better off when we have more transparency and more openness than less.”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “I think that the public always deserves the truth, and it’s in no one’s best interest to keep information, you know, hidden, especially if it’s not a national security issue.”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “So we look forward to doing the work. We look forward to partnering with our Republican colleagues.”
Garcia heads to floor of the US House to vote.
ML: “Thank you, sir.”
Nicolae Viorel Butler contributed to this report.
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You should read this, Matt..."Luna Called Out - Grusch in a SCIF - Something Rotten in The House?"....https://x.com/TheUfoJoe/status/1899769147401343049
You incited a riot: https://x.com/AskaPol_UAPs/status/1900410883228012656
Job. Well. Done!
haha
Yes, transparency would be better, and of course we deserve to know. But what about Grusch’s allegations that Congress has been misled by MIC for decades, that possibly illegal SAPs and WUSAPs have been funded illegally, and that there’s been a decades-long disinformation campaign waged against the American people on this issue? Where’s the outrage?