Who?
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) — (new) Ranking Member, House Oversight Committee (recently fmr. Ranking Member, Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets)
LISTEN: Laslo & Garcia
Ask a Pol asked:
Did you catch any of this month’s public UAP hearing conducted by the Oversight Committee’s Secrets Task Force?
Key Garcia:
“Honestly, I did not. I was completely — just like, I’ve been swamped, like, taking over the committee and mostly the [Jeffery] Epstein stuff, to be honest,” Rep. Robert Garcia exclusively told Ask a Pol.
With you not there, which Democrat is gonna replace your voice in the ongoing UAP investigation?
“Well, I heard [new Secrets Task Force Ranking Member Jasmine] Crockett did a good job,” Garcia said.
Broadly when it came to, like, POGO — Project On Government Oversight — and whistleblowers, but Crockett doesn’t know the right questions on UAPs.
“Personally, I’m still very interested,” Garcia said.
Caught our ear:
“It’s hard for me to — I can’t go to all the subcommittee meetings,” Garcia told us.*
*Flashback: Back in 2023, both Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and then-Ranking Member Jamie Raskin participated in the public UAP hearing with UFO whistleblower David Grusch…
ICYMI — follow Ask a Pol UAP on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram!
*we forgot to watermark this Burchett walk and talk, so different copies of it are going viral in different corners of the internet. One tweet on X (that credits us!) with our video embedded has 1.5 million views.
Last check, we’ve clocked 548 views on our new Ask a Pol UAP YouTube channel, 60 views on Ask a Pol TikTok and 50 likes on Reels. The gods have a wicked sense of humor…
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 (9-15-2025)
SCENE: Rep. Robert Garcia and an aide are walking back to his office across the street from the US Capitol — passing Capitol Police officers and large steel security barriers — when Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo catches up with the new top Democrat of the full House Oversight Committee.
Matt Laslo: “Did you — I was sick as a dog last week — did you make it at all to that UAP hearing?”
Robert Garcia: “I did not.”
ML: “I didn’t think you did. Did you...?”
RG: “I’m not on any of the subcommittees.”
ML: “Yeah? Did you catch any of it?”
RG: “Honestly, I did not.”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “I was completely — just like, I’ve been swamped. Like, taking over the committee and mostly the [Jeffery] Epstein stuff, to be honest.”
ML: “But with you not there, like, who’s the Dem? I guess [Rep. Jared] Moskowitz was there and loud, but...?”
RG: “Well, I heard [new Secrets Task Force Ranking Member Jasmine] Crockett did a good job.”
Aide: “Yeah, yeah.”
ML: “Yeah, but broadly when it came to, like, POGO [Project On Government Oversight] and that stuff. She doesn’t know the right questions on UAPs.”
RG: “Yeah, I mean, I think, look, I’m — I mean, personally, I’m still, like, very interested.”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “It’s just, like, it’s hard for me to — I can’t go to all the subcommittee meetings.”
Large security barrier screeches open.
ML: “Hey, you’re now Ranking [Member of Oversight].”
RG: [inaudible]
Laslo does mini-bow motion with his hands.
ML: “Bow...”
Laslo laughs; Garcia blushes.
ML: “No, I appreciate it.”
RG: “Yeah.”
ML: “I was just talking to [Oversight Chair James] Comer, do you see a natural spot on Oversight [Committee] of FBI, blah, blah blah? He’s saying Oversight has no natural [jurisdictional] claim.”
RG: “Well, I mean, just in general, the FBI is Judiciary...”
ML: “Judiciary [Committee] and HPSCI [House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]. Yeah.”
RG: “But, obviously, we have broad jurisdiction over any agency...”
ML: “Yeah?”
Security barrier screeches.
RG: “...but the direct jurisdiction is really Judiciary.”
ML: “Interesting. But if you…”
They run into a group of tourists on other side of security fence.
Random tourist: “I’ll be around til Wednesday…”
ML: “…well, that’s the thing — if you were Chair of Oversight, would you be trying to bring, compelling them in? Or that naturally would go to Judiciary?”
RG: “I mean....”
Aide: “It’d be a negotiation.”
RG: “Yeah, we’d have to negotiate it out. Alright.”
ML: “Preciate ya.”
