Who?
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) — Ranking Member, House Oversight Committee; previously Ranking Member, Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets
LISTEN: Laslo & Garcia
Ask a Pol asks:
Do you know what happens to the Secrets Task Force if Democrats capture the majority in this year’s midterm elections?
Key Garcia:
“The what’s Task Force?” Rep. Robert Garcia asks Ask a Pol UAP.
The Secrets Task Force.
“The Secrets Task Force?” Garcia — the recently former Ranking Member of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets — inquired. “Is that a name for something else?”
[Garcia’s aide tells him something off mic]
“Oh,” Garcia says. “Oh…”*
* we’re so confused over Garcia’s confusion, as he’s the former Ranking Member of the Task Force on the Declassification of Secrets (commonly referred to as the Secrets Task Force by everyone in this space in and out of Congress, including in many of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interviews with Garcia himself — at least before he took over as the top Democrat on the entire House Oversight Committee last year).*
**google confirms we’re not (totally) insane, though we don’t trust Google at Ask a Pol. Que sera sera.
ICYMI — 2025 throwback…Garcia’s been MIA since last fall
Caught our ear:
“We want to win first, since I think that once that happens and I think we’ll make decisions about what the subcommittees will be and what the task forces will be and what we keep,” Garcia exclusively tells Ask a Pol UAP. “And a lot of that will be also with a negotiation. And really, honestly, I want to make sure that Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries is going to have some ideas of what he wants, some of the, kind of, task forces to be.”
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 (9-22-2026)
SCENE: The House of Representatives remains on recess until after America’s November elections, but a dozen or so House Democrats were back in Washington this week “to Receive Public Testimony on Fatal Shootings by Federal Immigration Agents forum.”*
ICYMI — co-hosted by Oversight Ranking Member Garcia
* forums are what the minority party is resigned to, because they can’t officially hold a hearing without a member of the majority participating.
After waiting in the hall and foyer for a few hours outside the bicameral meeting, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo waits in the wings as Garcia finishes thanking the witnesses who’ve lost loved ones in ICE shootings.
Once a rushed Garcia’s exits the hearing room, Laslo races down a Senate hallway and through a tight stairwell with the Congressman and his aides, before leaving the House visitors at one of the Senate’s underground trams.
Matt Laslo: “Is a Select Committee — do you know what happens to the Secrets Task Force if you guys take over?”
Robert Garcia: “The what’s Task Force?”
Laslo: “The Secrets Task Force.”
Garcia: “The Secrets Task Force? Is that a name for something else?”
[Garcia’s aide tells him something off mic]
Garcia: “Oh, oh.”
Laslo: “Yeah, Luna’s...”
Garcia: “I know the Secrets you’re talking about. I don’t — I think over the course of the next few [months] — we’re not going to... We want to win first, since I think that once that happens and I think we’ll make decisions about what the subcommittees will be and what the task forces will be and what we keep. And a lot of that will be also with a negotiation. And really, honestly, I want to make sure that Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries is going to have some ideas of what he wants, some of the, kind of, task forces to be. So I think we’ll — but it’s interesting. I’m always interested in that stuff.”
Laslo: “Well, there’s chatter about a Select UFO Committee, because the Pentagon’s now released six tranches of these files. No chatter about that?”
Garcia: “I think we’re not going to make any decisions until we know what happens after November.”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
Laslo switches topics while he has access to Garcia for one of the last times until after the November elections.
Laslo: “And real quick on free press, what do you make of the Premier XI here, UN General Assembly, and right ahead of that, the President attacks the media and boots them out of the White House — what example are we setting on the world stage?”
Garcia: “Well, I mean, I don’t think we should be surprised -- he’s been attacking the press. I mean, of course, it’s ironic, because he always talks about he’s the most open, transparent, or believes in the freedom of the press or freedom of speech. He’s all about bringing back freedom of speech, which is a total lie. He’s been attacking freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and I think limiting access to the White House — what he’s done is quite unprecedented in the modern era. I mean, it hasn’t happened, what he’s doing right now, to go after CNN and Politico and MS[NBC], I think are just horrific. And I think we could probably expect more, and probably expect more from his Trump TV.”
The underground tram Garcia and his aide have been waiting for arrives.
Aide: “We gotta go.”
Garcia: “Thank you.”
Laslo: “’Preciate ya.”
What should we ask lawmakers this week?
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AI Disclosure:
Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape.
