Lawmakers say national security agencies are still not taking seriously their efforts to exercise greater oversight over the government's study of UFOs, reports Politico.
Pentagon officials have, for years, wrestled with how much time and resources to devote to investigating UFOs, as lawmakers have pushed for more insight into an increase in sightings of unexplained objects.
Last year, Congress received an unclassified report from the intelligence community on UFOs, the product of public pressure from key lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat. Over the last two weeks, members of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees were handed classified progress reports on new data concerning UFOs from the Pentagon and spy agencies, but lawmakers are still not satisfied.
They want more manpower dedicated to determining the aircrafts' origin and more transparency about the agencies' findings. Congress in December of 2020 required the Director of National Intelligence to summarize and report on the U.S. government's knowledge of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs — better known to the public as unidentified flying objects or UFOs. The effort has included a Defense Department UAP task force established in 2020.
The Department of Defense "needs to take this issue much more seriously and get in motion," said an aide for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. "They have had ample time to implement these important provisions, and they need to show us that they are prepared to address this issue in the long-term."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is "definitely frustrated" with the agencies' progress, according to one of his senior aides.
"They are not moving fast enough, not doing enough, not sharing enough."
"The administration is aware of the concerns," he added. "It is not at the level it needs to be."
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Politico he doesn't trust the DOD, "to get this right since leadership there has always been part of a cover-up."
"It is clear from the public evidence that we don't have full control of our airspace," added Burchett. "That's a national security issue and it's also unacceptable."
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where there have been reported UFO sightings over the decades, is in Burchett's political district.
Susan Gough, a Pentagon spokesperson, told Politico her department "continues to brief Congress on our efforts regarding unidentified aerial phenomena, including our progress in standing up the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group, in accordance with the fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
"I cannot comment on specific engagements," she added.