...
By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Representative Tim Burchett moved to dismantle the Pentagon office that investigates UFOs under legislation introduced this week.
The bill written by the Tennessee Republican would eliminate the Defense Department’s All‑domain Anomaly Resolution Office and redistribute its responsibilities across the Pentagon, while also prohibiting the creation of any future office that holds centralized authority over investigations into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), often referred to as UFOs.
Newsweek reached out to Burchett's office and the Pentagon for comment via email on Wednesday afternoon.
Read More on Politics
Why It Matters
Burchett has been a long-time advocate for transparency around the U.S. government's investigations into UFOs, and has claimed that a multi-decade cover-up has been perpetrated by federal agencies. A recent spate of disappearances of people linked to UFO research has heightened scrutiny around the topic.
...
What To Know
Burchett's bill aims to terminate the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which sits within the Department of Defense, currently styled as the Department of War by the Trump administration.
The AARO was established only in 2022, with its main aim of investigating UFOs. It was born out of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, which ran from 2020 through 2021. Its report, issued in March 2024, claimed there was "no empirical evidence" of alien technology.
The legislation would spread the office's responsibilities to other areas of the Pentagon and ban the creation of any further dedicated offices.
Earlier this month, Burchett told a Newsmax host that he would be "up at night" if he knew the things Burchett had seen on alien life. He said that the government needed to release all the files it had on UFO investigations. His comments reflect others made over the years, as he called for greater transparency and accused the Pentagon of covering up discoveries.
President Donald Trump said in February that he was going to order the DOD to release files on UFOs and alien life, but no further updates have been made on the move.
What People Are Saying
Representative Tim Burchett, speaking to Newsmax on April 1: “We just need to disclose it all. I’m sick of it, you’re—ah, well—I was briefed, I will just tell you this, I was briefed last week on an issue—or excuse me, two weeks ago—and it would’ve set the earth on—this country would’ve come unglued, I think, if they would’ve heard all that I’d heard.”
President Donald Trump, in a February Truth Social post: “Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Update 4/8/26, 4:26 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines