Upon leaving Friday’s classified SCIF briefing, Congressional UAP Caucus co-chair Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) was frustrated with all the secrecy hiding in plain site within the nation’s intelligence community.
“Someone would ask a question, but then someone, they would give a very unanswer-answer. Then somebody else would ask it more specific, and then they would give a better answer. And I’m tired of that stuff, just give us the answer,” Burchett said.
“That kind of shows that you lawmakers are learning the right way to ask,” I point out.
“Yeah. It does,” Burchett said. “But we shouldn't have to go through that many hoops.”
Burchett was excited to see a broad bipartisan coalition of mostly House Oversight Committee members attend the briefing, united around their demand for transparency.
“At one time there were 16 people in there,” Burchett said.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: THURSDAY (18th) UAP LAWMAKER LIVE SESSION w/ Laslo
As a THANK YOU! to subscribers*, Matt Laslo’s moderating a live Q and A this Thursday evening (NEW: 6pm EST) with a member of the Congressional UAP Caucus.
Stay tuned for more details…
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LISTEN: Laslo & Burchett
Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. & founder of Ask a Pol — a new, people-powered press corps.
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Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Tim Burchett
SCENE: This Burchett exchange starts with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC)—which is published here—but after Mace breaks off to go vote on the House floor, Laslo starts his brief, if informative, 1-on-1 with Burchett.
Matt Laslo: “How are you feeling after that?”
Tim Burchett: “I don’t know. More the same. I'm tired of the runaround. I mean, you gotta ask specific questions and…”
Burchett says hi to a lawmaker exiting an elevator to the House floor.
TB: “Someone would ask a question, but then someone, they would give a very unanswer-answer. Then somebody else would ask it more specific, and then they would give a better answer. And I’m tired of that stuff, just give us the answer. Quit with all the…”
ML: “But that kind of shows that you guys are learning as you go?”
TB: “Do what?”
ML: “That kind of shows that you lawmakers are learning the right way to ask.”
TB: “Yeah, yeah. It does, but we shouldn't have to go through that many hoops.”
ML: “Who do you want to hear from the fields have another public hearing?”
TB: “Can I talk off the record?”
ML: “Yeah.”
SILENCE: Burchett asks to go Off the Record, which Laslo grants because Burchett provides solid, actionable information OTR (unlike some senators *ahem* who ask for OTR in order to hide).
ML: “Does this bolster your case for a [UAP] Select Committee?”
TB: “Not yet. I'm not really worried about all that. It was Black folks, white folks, Democrats, Republicans, Jews. It was beautiful.”
ML: “And some who hold gavels, some who don't, right?”
Burchett nods.
TB: “At one time there were 16 people in there.”
ML: “Really?”
TB: “Yeah.”
ML: “So you feel like that sends a message?”
TB: “Yep.”
Burchett starts heading in to the House floor to vote.
ML: “Now does that…?”
Laslo finally notices Burchett’s out.
ML: “Preciate you sir. Have a good weekend.”
EXCLUSIVE — Tim Burchett's frustrated with evasive IG: "I’m tired of that stuff, just give us the answer"