Disclosure Diaries Update #17

Appearing before the Senate to discuss ongoing negotiations related to the NDAA, Sen. Schumer – one of the main sponsors of the UAP Disclosure Act – accuses House Republicans of actively seeking to "kill this bipartisan provision". This echoes a variety of claims that started to emerge in the last week of November 2023, suggesting that a small cadre of key Republican leaders were working to ensure the UAP Disclosure Act language would not be adopted into the final NDAA bill.

Following his statements on Dec. 4th, Sen. Chuck Schumer also took to X to say the following:

"House Republicans are trying to kill the Senate's bipartisan measure to increase transparency around UAPS.

The measure I’m championing with Sen. Rounds would create a board to work through the declassification of government records on UAPs.

We'll keep working to get this done."

Once again, Vivek referenced a lack of UAP transparency on X, saying:

"TRUTH #9: The U.S. government is actively working to prevent the public disclosure of information about UFOs."

The final 2024 NDAA Conference Report has been published, providing insight into the UAP-related language that will be included in the final reconciled version of the 2024 NDAA. (See Subtitle C, Secs. 1841-1843, Sec 7343, Sec 1687).

The proposed amendment from Rep. Burchett was dropped entirely. In many ways, the language proposed by Sens. Schumer/Rounds (i.e. the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023) was also significantly watered down/gutted.

To summarise – the eminent domain, subpoena powers, and the Review Board have all been stripped away. The new revised language still establishes a new UAP-records collection and public dissemination process through the Archivist. However, instead of an independent Review Board that would evaluate these records and determine a 'controlled disclosure campaign plan', oversight has been provided to various House and Senate intel committees. Heads of agencies have also been granted the power to determine which records qualify for postponement of disclosure. Limitations on funding for any UAP-related programs are also included in the new bill.

A separate post dedicated to explaining the new language in detail (+ highlighting the differences between the original UAPDA) will be coming later this week...so stay tuned for that.

"The conference agreement includes only the requirements to establish a government-wide UAP records collection; to transfer records to the collection; and to review the records for disclosure decisions under a set of authorized grounds for postponing disclosure. The agreement does not include the provisions that would establish an independent Review Board, a Review Board staff, eminent domain authority, or a controlled disclosure process." (Page 2803)

CNN covered developments on UAP-related legislation, including references to the UAP Disclosure Act, as well as the pushback it has received from Rep. Mike Turner. Neither Rep. Turner nor the Pentagon were willing to comment and/or clarify their positions.

• According to Senator Gillibrand – a public hearing in line with AARO's latest report can be expected soon, saying –"I'll probably have another hearing aligned with that public report.”
• Members of Congress were meant to discuss UAP-related matters in a SCIF with the Intelligence Community Inspector General on the 16th of November, however this session has been delayed until January 12.
• The coming weeks will still require Senators and Members of Congress to officially finalise and submit the reconciled version of the NDAA to be signed into law.

• Following the UAP hearing on the 26th of July, Members of Congress have called for a select committee with subpoena authority, to “go about the task of collecting information from the Pentagon and elsewhere” on unidentified flying objects. There have been conflicting messages from various Members of Congress on whether this is likely to happen anytime soon.
• Reps. Moskowitz, Luna, and Burchett have repeatedly stated their intent to hold field hearings to overcome stonewalling from the Pentagon and military establishment
  
  "I think we [Congress] should try to get into one of these places [housing UAP evidence]...and if they won't let us in I think we should have a field hearing right outside the building...and the military will have to explain why that is." – Rep. Moskowitz (D)
  
  It is currently unknown when we might expect that to occur.
• Several journalists have indicated that first-hand witnesses of the alleged UAP legacy programs are in the process of providing testimony/evidence to the relevant authorities (e.g. the IC IG) and/or are on the verge of making public statements in the near future (Example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4)