Who?
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) — Member, Congressional UAP Caucus, Oversight Committee & Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets
LISTEN: Laslo & Burlison
Ask a Pol asks:
In light of all these Congressional UAP Caucus roadblocks of late — SCIF briefings postponed, fearful whistleblowers and the cancelation of a public July hearing — where do you see the House Oversight Committee’s UAP investigation going from here?
Key Burlison:
“We're building for the disclosure document to be put into the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act]. I'm working with Senator [Mike] Rounds (R-SD). I think that that will be transformative,” Rep. Eric Burlison exclusively tells Ask a Pol.
And this is Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s UAPDA — or UAP Disclosure Act?
“Yeah,” Burlison says.
Are you guys tweaking it?
“I'm open to making changes if people can identify how it can be improved,” Burlison says. “But the Senator has done a lot of work on this, and I'm just trying to do my part in the House.”
SHORT: Burlison not negotiating with Schumer…
David Grusch has met with AARO twice this year
“[David Grusch] and I met with AARO,” Burlison says. “And separately he and AARO had a long conversation.“
ICYMI — glimpse inside this year’s Grusch / AARO meeting
Caught our ear:
“It's my hope that now that we have a different Intel chair that we'll have a different outcome,” Burlison tells us. “I've already had conversation with [new House Intel Committee] Chairman [Rick] Crawford. He seems open to help.”
Whereas fmr. Intel Chair Mike Turner wouldn’t even discuss it.
“No,” Burlison says.
So already there it's night and day difference?
“Yes,” Burlison says. “Yes.”
(sad) Ask a Pol scoop: No public UAP hearing this month
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Eric Burlison (7-17-2025)
SCENE: Rep. Eric Burlison’s walking across the Capitol grounds making his way back to his office across the street when he bumps into Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo who proceeds to accompany the congressman to the Longworth House Office Building.
Matt Laslo: “How are you feeling?”
Eric Burlison: “Hey.”
ML: “Feels like this week's a lot of whiplash.”
EB: “Yeah?”
ML: “Crypto whiplash, UAP whiplash, Epstein whiplash.”
Burlison smirks.
ML: “What are you — with UAPs, I was curious, the thing I texted you, why about Grusch, what do you make of Grusch refusing to testify to AARO and Kirkpatrick, according to that one FOIA [Freedom of Information Act]?”*
*h/t — John Greenewald, Jr.
Massive steel security barrier creeks open on Capitol grounds.
EB: “I don't think that he trusted Kirkpatrick.”
ML: “Yeah? So he wasn't hiding from AARO?”
EB: “No.”
ML: “Just why talk to someone you don't trust?”
EB: “He and I met with AARO, and separately he and AARO had a long conversation.“
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ML: “So that was just purely Kirkpatrick? ‘I don't trust this guy, so I'm not gonna meet.’”
EB: “Yeah.”
ML: “Interesting.”
EB: “That's my guess. I don't want to speak for Grusch.”
ML: “Well, no, because you just reminded me…”
EB: “That's my guess.”
ML: “You just reminded me…”
EB: “So please don’t report that I said that.”*
*PSA: Congressman Burlison has not discussed this issue with Grusch, so he’s merely making a (well) educated guess and not speaking for the whistleblower.
ML: “Well, no, no — you just reminded me that you guys sat down with AARO this year, so that FOIA’s old information.”
SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT*
*Student? Lost your gig? Hard times? Been there. Got you.
No questions asked. Just ping us.
EB: “Yeah. My guess it’s probably have to do with Kirkpatrick.”
ML: “Do you — like, where do you see this investigation going? Like, no July hearing, no June hearing…”
EB: “We're building for the disclosure document to be put into the NDAA. I'm working with Senator Rounds. I think that that will be transformative.”
ML: “Interesting. On the UAPDA?”
EB: “Yeah.”
ML: “Are you guys tweaking it?”
EB: “I'm open to making changes if people can identify how it can be improved.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “But the Senator has done a lot of work on this, and I'm just trying to do my part in the House.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “So I'm happy to do that.”
ML: “That's interesting. And so Schumer hasn't been a part of the talks at all?”
EB: “Um, I just, I don't talk with Schumer on a regular basis.”
They laugh.
ML: “Ha ha ha. Fair. How’d you get connected with Rounds on that?”
EB: “Really just been talking with the staff.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “And I know that there's other people in the UAP stuff that talk with Rounds, so there's been a few times where we felt the need to kind of reach out to them.”
They’re now chatting right outside the entrance to Burlison’s House Office Building.
ML: “Why do you think UAPDA would be a game changer?”
EB: “The what?”
ML: “Why do you think UAPDA is important?”
After chasing a dozen or so lawmakers to and from the Capitol on the 90 degree day in the swamp, sweat’s dripping down Laslo’s face.
EB: “I mean, look at what's happening…”
ML: “The disclosure act…”
EB: “Let's go in the air conditioning.”
ML: “Yeah.”
EB: “At first, like, I would say a year ago, when that language came up, I thought that it wasn't good enough.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “Because I was — you know, when you look at what's going on with the JFK files, but the truth is, I mean, you look at the fact that the law that we, because this kind of mimics the process for the JFK stuff, release…”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “…look at how many documents that have been released that the CIA did not want to release.”
ML: “Yeah? Right.”
EB: “And it clearly works.”
ML: “Yeah? Interesting.”
EB: “And so, if that works, why not, you know, why not use what we know already works?”
ML: “And there's whispers that, like, someone was killing it. Maybe McConnell, potentially. Maybe Mike Turner over here. Do you know who's been gutting it the past two NDAAs?”
EB: “I don't. I can't put my finger on it.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “It's probably the people that everybody — probably one of those or more.”
ML: “Yeah? Is that important that you guys try to ward that off, that opposition? Or do you think…?”
EB: “It's my hope that now that we have a different Intel chair that we'll have a different outcome.”
ML: “Yup.”
EB: “The other thing I'm like really upset about is that, is trying to track down why we were blocked. According to Tim Phillips we were blocked from getting a briefing.”
ML: “Yeah.“
EB: “A full briefing. And because at some point it was blocked by a chairman or ranking member of either Intel or HASC [House Armed Services Committee]. And well, and we've kind of, I think we've narrowed it down. It wasn't the Speaker. It wasn't Jamie Comer for sure.”
ML: “Yeah? Huh.”
ICYMI — It wasn’t me…
EB: “It was one of the either chairman or the ranking members of those two committees.”
ML: “Interesting.”
EB: “And I think we have an idea who it was, but not for sure.”
ML: “Are you going to try to meet with them maybe and…?”
EB: “So we've already had conversations — I've already had conversation with [new House Intel Committee] Chairman Crawford.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “He's — he seems open to help.”
ML: “Yeah? Whereas [fmr. Intel Chair Mike] Turner wouldn’t even discuss it.”
EB: “No.”
ML: “So already there it's night and day difference?”
EB: “Yes, yes.”
ML: “Interesting. I'll be watching. Good to see you.”
EB: “Thanks.”
Burlison heads to his office in the AC.
ML: “Have a good one, sir.”
Laslo heads back into Washington’s swamp-like summer air.
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I can’t imagine (if the UAPDA were to pass as is and be signed into law) who Trump would appoint to the panel that would be genuinely friendly to Disclosure. We have the evidence now of the drone fandango dance and the Epstein files three-card monte. I would love to know what Rounds and Burlison are really thinking as they push this forward. I can’t believe that it would be permitted to go through as is. And if not, what’s the point?
very illuminating!.. Thanks Matt!
So theoretically speaking:
Ranking Members: JIM HIMES (D) and ADAM SMITH (D) could in fact have prevented their full clearance acess or having subpoena-power, then?
Wow!
Great work, Matt. Using Greenewald as a source (and vice versa) is a smart step. That guy is a bulldog as well. Keep at their heels.