Burlison's UAP disclosure amendment left out of defense bill

A proposal by southwest Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison to increase government transparency surrounding unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, will not receive a vote on the House floor after it was not selected for consideration by the House Rules Committee.

Earlier Monday, Burlison appeared before the House Rules Committee to personally advocate for the amendment, a step taken by only a small number of lawmakers sponsoring proposals to the annual defense bill.

During his testimony, Burlison said Americans deserve greater transparency regarding government records involving UAPs.

"The UAP information belongs to the American people," Burlison told the committee. "Transparency is a simple step toward restoring public trust."

The proposal was modeled after the law that established the process for releasing records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Burlison said it would create a centralized collection of UAP records at the National Archives, making them available for public inspection.

Under the amendment, federal agencies would have been required to identify, organize and transfer UAP-related records to the National Archives within 300 days. The measure also sought to prohibit records from being destroyed or altered, prevent previously released records from being reclassified or further redacted, and require agencies to document any records withheld from public release.

Burlison also proposed expanding disclosure requirements to include records held by federally funded research and development centers and government contractors, arguing that some UAP-related information exists outside traditional government agencies.

The amendment would have established an independent nine-member UAP Records Review Board, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The board would have been granted subpoena authority, access to records and government facilities, and the power to conduct hearings.

The House Rules Committee, which determines which amendments advance to the House floor, approved the rule governing debate on the defense authorization bill in an 8-4 party-line vote. There was no separate recorded vote on whether to include Burlison's amendment.

Although the proposal will not be considered as part of this year's House defense authorization debate, Burlison used his appearance before the committee to argue that greater disclosure of UAP records is necessary to improve government accountability and public trust.

https://x.com/RepEricBurlison/status/2071740372930400761