Hidden in Plain Sight: The Pentagon’s Removal of Congressional Oversight from the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023 and How to Take Action

**EDIT: Please refer to my newest comment under this thread with the proper submission statement. Unfortunately, my original submission statement was not uploaded due to an error with one of the links provided. Just so you know – the following comment was meant to be complementary to the submission statement.**

How can you, the reader, take action? Start by calling and messaging your elected leaders in Congress to support the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023, which has been reintroduced this year. Begin by reaching out to the offices of your House Representative and your two Senators. Staffers and members of Congress prioritize calls and messages from their constituents.

If you are a constituent of any Senator on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Armed Services Committee, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, or Senate Foreign Relations Committee, now is the time to make your voice heard. Here is an explanation provided by UAP Caucus on why these committees are currently important to contact: [https://x.com/uapcaucus/status/1823137197467574548](https://x.com/uapcaucus/status/1823137197467574548)

If you are not a constituent of these committees, you can still call and leave a message advocating for the passage of the UAP Disclosure Act. However, it’s best to contact your own Congressional leaders’ offices first, as they are more likely to prioritize your input. While some offices may still listen to feedback from non-constituents, others may reserve their lines for constituent opinions only.

**Advocacy tools:** 

* DeclassifyUAP Action Center (Constituent-based tool for messaging and calling): [http://declassifyuap.org/action/](http://declassifyuap.org/action/) 
* UAP/C Speed Dial (Call tool featuring built-in script focusing on relevant committees): [http://uapcaucus.com/call](http://uapcaucus.com/call) 
* UAPDF Contact Tool (Constituent-based tool for messaging and calling): [http://uapdisclosurefund.org/#Take-Action](http://uapdisclosurefund.org/#Take-Action) 
* Congressional Member Lookup: [https://congress.gov/members/find-your-member](https://congress.gov/members/find-your-member)

I think you need to reference where this document is from. It was uncovered by Douglas Dean Johnson and published in his article earlier this year. It relates to the DoD’s advice to Congress relating to the UAPDA of last year.

>*”In the light of recent statements by the former head of the Pentagon “UFO office,” Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, asserting that the Pentagon/AARO successfully derailed the Schumer-Rounds Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act (UAPDA) in late 2023, I am releasing here a proposed 33-page line-by-line rewrite of the Senate-passed UAPDA that the Pentagon provided to congressional negotiators during end-stage negotiations in November 2023.”*
https://douglasjohnson.ghost.io/uap-disclosure-act-pentagon-rewrite-nov-2023/

Submission statement:

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 Douglas Dean Johnson, who was the first to publish the official rewrite document [(link to article here](https://douglasjohnson.ghost.io/uap-disclosure-act-pentagon-rewrite-nov-2023/)).

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](https://youtu.be/Hc_8lcSANus?si=EKvY3wTlWYSzhM4C), 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.

The following feedback is from Douglas Dean Johnson addressing my post:

“The Pentagon could not itself “remove” language. As is normal practice, congressional offices ASKED for the Pentagon views on language. The agency responded with the proposed rewrite. But it was ultimately up to the lawmakers to accept it in whole or part, or to disregard it.”

Link to his post [here](https://x.com/ddeanjohnson/status/1832928695876571496?s=46)