UFO sleuths across the globe were upset, confused and even distraught when on the eve of the House UAP hearing, Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) were told they weren’t chairing the hearing. The wildcard chair now seems to be an ally.
The relatively unknown, quiet-mannered Wisconsinite, Rep. Glenn Grothman, hasn’t been active in all the competing UFO inquiries swirling about on Capitol Hill. But, in the wake of the explosive testimony, he’s beyond curious now and on the hunt for answers.
“I thought it went very well,” Grothman told Ask a Pol on the Capitol steps as he was heading in to cast a vote early Wednesday evening. “Well, obviously we're gonna have a chance to look at some of the confidential stuff. It’s confidential, but I think I’ll learn more there.”
The five-term Republican has maintained a relatively low profile from his perch as chair of the Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs.
Grothman was especially struck by the first-hand accounts from former Navy pilot Ryan Graves, now of Americans for Safe Aerospace, and retired US Navy commander David Fravor.
As soon as possible, the subcommittee chair plans to start vetting David Grusch’s testimony in a SCIF—or sensitive compartmented information facility—where lawmakers review classified material—so he can test the whistleblower’s credibility and sources, which Grusch repeatedly had to remind lawmakers he wasn’t allowed to disclose publicly.
With that in mind, Grothman’s basically agnostic when it comes to Grusch.
“That’s what we're going to find out, right? The other two guys have first-hand experience with unusual stuff in flight, so you gotta take it seriously,” Grothman said.
Grothman’s leaving the door open to the possibility of holding another UFO hearing, even as he’s predicting legislation will result from this week’s hearing.
“I don’t know. Pretty sure there will be a bill that will come out of it,” Grothman told Ask a Pol. “People sense that the public wants to hear about UFOs,”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s interview with Rep. Glenn Grothman, slightly edited for clarity.
Matt Laslo: “Hey, how are you sir? How do you think it went today—today’s hearing?”
Glenn Grothman: “I thought it went very well.”
ML: “Do you have lingering questions and follow ups?”
GG: “Well, obviously we're gonna have a chance to look at some of the confidential stuff. It’s confidential, but I think I’ll learn more there.”
ML: “Yeah, well because a lot of his answers were, ‘No, it has to be a classified setting.’”
GG: “A lot. A lot.”
ML: “Is that frustrating or just the nature of the beast?”
GG: “I guess the nature of the beast, but just gonna have to do some follow-up on my own.”
ML: “Are you convinced? Do you trust him?”
GG: “That’s what we're going to find out, right? The other two guys have first-hand experience with unusual stuff in flight, so you gotta take it seriously.”
ML: “Curious, have all your questions been answered after the balloon incident, or is this separate from that?”
GG: “I think, when the committee began, we thought we'd get into it, but it didn't work out that way.”
ML: “Why not?”
GG: “Because, I think, people sense that the public want to hear about UFOs.”
ML: “Interesting. Is this the last hearing we're gonna see or no?”
GG: “I don’t know. Pretty sure there will be a bill that will come out of it.”
ML: “Yeah? Appreciate you, sir.”
Matt Laslo is a veteran congressional correspondent and founder of Ask a Pol—Washington’s new people-powered press corps. Find him on most social media @MattLaslo.
We’re @Ask_a_Pol or @askpols on Insta.
Camila Aponte and Noah Kolenda contributed to the production of this transcript. Take typos up with Congress (and ping us, please! Our apologies in advance).
EXCLUSIVE—UFO hearing chair Grothman: “Pretty sure there will be a bill that will come out of it”