In a striking move, the Pentagon, specifically the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD(I & S)), completely removed key provisions from the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023. This rewrite was provided to Congressional negotiators sometime in November 2023, according to
@ddeanjohnson, who was the first to publish the official rewrite document (link below).
Notably, entire sections detailing the establishment and powers of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Review Board were struck out, including:
➼ SEC. 9007. ESTABLISHMENT AND POWERS OF THE UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA RECORDS REVIEW BOARD.
➼ SEC. 9008. UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA RECORDS REVIEW BOARD PERSONNEL.
➼ SEC. 9009. REVIEW OF RECORDS BY THE UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA RECORDS REVIEW BOARD.
Among the removed provisions was a critical clause on security clearances for members of Congress and their staff:
“(4) SECURITY CLEARANCES. The Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives, and staff of such committees designated by such Chairmen and Ranking Members, shall be granted all security clearances and accesses held by the Review Board, including to relevant Presidential and department or agency special access and compartmented access programs.”
This omission is concerning, especially in light of AARO’s public stance on transparency. AARO’s vision promotes “the greatest transparency and shared awareness,” yet how can this be realized if key Congressional leaders and staff are denied the necessary security clearances for effective oversight?
Additionally, AARO’s mission slideshow highlights their commitment to “Oversight Engagement,” stating they “track Executive, Legislative, and Defense Department requirements for the UAP Mission and the Office; monitor AARO progress toward meeting those requirements; and drive development of routine and ad hoc reporting to Congress and other stakeholders within the U.S. Government.”
Former AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick, in a July 17, 2024, interview with Marik von Rennenkampff (@MvonRen), revealed the Pentagon’s opposition to the 2023 UAP Disclosure Act, further highlighting the issue. Kirkpatrick stated, “We convinced Congress last year not to go down that road,” underscoring the significant influence that the Pentagon and AARO had in reshaping the legislation.
How can AARO claim transparency and engagement when the Pentagon systematically removes Congressional oversight powers?
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In a striking move, the Pentagon, specifically the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD(I & S)), completely removed key provisions from the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023. This rewrite was provided to Congressional negotiators sometime in November 2023, according to
@ddeanjohnson, who was the first to publish the official rewrite document (link below).
Notably, entire sections detailing the establishment and powers of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Review Board were struck out, including:
➼ SEC. 9007. ESTABLISHMENT AND POWERS OF THE UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA RECORDS REVIEW BOARD.
➼ SEC. 9008. UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA RECORDS REVIEW BOARD PERSONNEL.
➼ SEC. 9009. REVIEW OF RECORDS BY THE UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA RECORDS REVIEW BOARD.
Among the removed provisions was a critical clause on security clearances for members of Congress and their staff:
“(4) SECURITY CLEARANCES. The Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives, and staff of such committees designated by such Chairmen and Ranking Members, shall be granted all security clearances and accesses held by the Review Board, including to relevant Presidential and department or agency special access and compartmented access programs.”
This omission is concerning, especially in light of AARO’s public stance on transparency. AARO’s vision promotes “the greatest transparency and shared awareness,” yet how can this be realized if key Congressional leaders and staff are denied the necessary security clearances for effective oversight?
Additionally, AARO’s mission slideshow highlights their commitment to “Oversight Engagement,” stating they “track Executive, Legislative, and Defense Department requirements for the UAP Mission and the Office; monitor AARO progress toward meeting those requirements; and drive development of routine and ad hoc reporting to Congress and other stakeholders within the U.S. Government.”
Former AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick, in a July 17, 2024, interview with Marik von Rennenkampff (@MvonRen), revealed the Pentagon’s opposition to the 2023 UAP Disclosure Act, further highlighting the issue. Kirkpatrick stated, “We convinced Congress last year not to go down that road,” underscoring the significant influence that the Pentagon and AARO had in reshaping the legislation.
How can AARO claim transparency and engagement when the Pentagon systematically removes Congressional oversight powers?
This glaring contradiction demands attention.
Additional resources included below.