Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is new to Congress, but he’s fitting right in. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee but was eagerly welcomed by Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) for this week’s Oversight Committee investigation into UFOs.
As the freshman left the committee room Wednesday, Ogles told Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo that testimony from UFO whistleblower David Grusch, along with two Navy veterans, exceeded his expectations – and fears.
“Each one of the individuals responded in the affirmative that they could be collecting data, they could be probing for weaknesses, they could be collecting reconnaissance information against the United States and our global partners as well,” Ogles told Ask a Pol. “Those are questions that have to be asked and have to be answered.”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s interview with Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), slightly edited for clarity.
Matt Laslo: “What’d you make of it, the hearing?”
Andy Ogles: “Well, I think the biggest takeaway from it is that there are UAPs that potentially pose a threat to the national security of the United States of America. As members of Congress, we have an obligation to seek that information. I think by and large the American people want to know that information to the extent that can be revealed.”
ML: “How much- Do you think we are going to need another hearing? Even if it’s classified? A lot of his answers are ‘I can’t talk about that here.’”
AO: “Right, well I mean I guess due to the nature of it you’re gonna get some of that. But, I mean, if you were to go back and listen to the testimony, each one of the individuals responded in the affirmative that they could be collecting data, they could be probing for weaknesses, they could be collecting reconnaissance information against the United States and our global partners as well. So, again, those are questions that have to be asked and have to be answered.”
ML: “Do you think that could be extra terrestrial? Or, potentially China, or foreign adversaries?”
AO: “As Mr. Grusch said, I think we need to keep an open aperture there and make no assumptions of where the UAPs are coming from.”
*Ogles responds to another reporters questions*
ML: “I had one follow-up, I remember you’re Tennessee, I used to be the correspondent for WPLN Nashville. What do you think of what they did to Mr. Burchett?”
AO: “You know, obviously he was given credit for spearheading the committee. As to why he didn’t share the proceedings, who knows? But there is a hierarchy, and he simply followed that.”
ML: “That’s where I was confused. I’ve been here 17 years, I’m like- it was weird when Comer was telling me for a month that he gave the gavels to them.”
AO: “Could have been simply a scheduling conflict that was resolved, right?
ML: “‘Preciate ya. So diplomatic!”
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).
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