Who?
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) — Member, Oversight and Homeland Security Committees
LISTEN: Laslo & Garcia*
*FULL, RAW — including NewsNation Q&A (some say harder to hear than the main audio up top and embedded in our podcast feed)
Ask a Pol asks:
How are you feeling after this week’s AARO — All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office — SCIF briefing?
Key Garcia:
“It’s more important for the public and for lawmakers to understand the complex system of how all of this is recorded, which I feel like I understand so much more today than I ever did,” Rep. Garcia exclusively tells Ask a Pol.
What’s better: Field hearing or 2nd public one in DC?
“I think the best is to have it here,” Garcia told us. “I’m not opposed to field hearings, obviously. I just think that the first hearing was so, I thought, helpful and there was a lot of interest, you know, with the public.”
Sean who?
What have you thought of former AARO Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick’s post-AARO tour?
“Sean?” Garcia asks before remembering Kirkpatrick. “I’m not gonna comment on that… I think what’s more important is listening to the folks that are there now.”
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Superman #1
What got you interested in UAPs and space?
“I’ve always been a science-fiction fan, as a kid,” Garcia tells us.
“It’s just my interest in space, in science fiction, in humanity and all of that,” Garcia tells Ask a Pol. “I’m not one that’s ever believed that the universe isn’t complex — you know, it’s a complex, magical, large place and I think it’s okay to have a broad worldview of what could be out there.”
ICYMI — Ask a Pol’s exclusive w/ UAP Co-chairs Burchett & Luna
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Robert Garcia
Matt Laslo: “How’d it go in there?”
Robert Garcia: “Oh, it was fine.”
Garcia looks over to NewsNation camera.
RG: “You wanna…”
Garcia steers Ask a Pol over by NewsNation — the only two outlets who covered AARO’s classified UAP SCIF briefing.
ML: “Is it just ‘fine’?”
RG: “No, I mean, it was a…”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “…I can’t really say anything.”
ML: “Yeah? But I mean just — how are you feeling?”
We paused for NewsNation to set up some gear.
ML: “We can wait for them to…”
RG: “Sure, sure — and I’ll just be very brief. No, I think…”
NewsNation Washington correspondent Joe Khalil gently directs the congressman to look at him and Ask a Pol; not to stare into the camera lens.
Joe Khalil: “You can look this way.”
RG: “Sure, no I think look. Obviously it’s a classified briefing, so I’m not gonna say much. I just think it’s important to have these briefings. I think this gives us more information. I had one major question, which was answered to my satisfaction. But, I still think — I’ll just reiterate my position — that we need more public hearings at the Oversight [Committee] level. We need to bring in more witnesses and have them testify. It’s not like anything’s resolved. I have to get to a meeting. The classified briefing is still going on. I do think that — I’m glad there’s bipartisan support and there’s bipartisan lawmakers looking at this issue. And, I just want to remind people that it’s a serious issue. It’s not a joke. It should be taken seriously by lawmakers, and I appreciate the service of the gentlemen that are here presenting to us.”
Male reporter: “Sounds like you gotta run, I’ve got two questions for you.”
RG: “Sure.”
Khalil: “So, first is — you had your question answered, but did it seem generally, like, from the lawmakers in the room they were satisfied with some of what they were hearing?”
RG: “Well look, it’s not a question of being totally satisfied. I think that I just want to have more public hearings. I think public hearings are really important. Classified briefings are great. We’ve asked for more public hearings, that’s not a decision that those of us in the minority can make. This is, I mean, quite frankly, on the majority. It’s on the Republicans to agree to more hearings. We all want to make that request of Oversight [Committee], so we’re going to continue to make that request.”
Khalil: “Can you tell me where you think you are with that?”
RG: “I’ve made that request in letters, in person. I’m not sure how many more times we can request it, so it’s really their decision. But, certainly I’d like to see more public hearings. Thank you.”
Garcia and his aides start heading towards the exit — an expansive set of stairs descending two stories underground — accompanied by Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo.
ML: “I was curious. So if you guys do another public hearing, there’s been talk about a field hearing or doing another public-public one here. What do you think would be a better…?”
RG: “I mean, I think the best is to have it here. But, I don’t know, I’m not opposed to field hearings obviously. I just think that the first hearing was so, I thought, helpful and there was a lot of interest, you know, with the public. I think that we should…”
Congressional colleague: “Hey!”
RG: “How you doing, sir?”
Garcia then directs the entourage up another flight of stairs to exit.
RG: “We’ll go this way…”
RG: “So I just think that’s something that we should consider, having more public hearings. And that having more public hearings. There’s nothing to hide here.”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “I don’t think that we should be hiding information. I just think, get it out and let people ask their questions and people will feel better about it… We had no conclusions that were made (inaudible).”
ML: “Do you have questions from [whistleblower David] Grusch’s testimony, that public testimony? Do you still have questions from his public testimony that last July?”
RG: “I won’t say that I have questions — of course, I have questions about all the testimony we hear. And, I think…”
ML: “Is that frustrating though, because this is the third time that there’s been a SCIF briefing for you all?”
RG: “No, I actually think that every single briefing has been helpful. So I don’t — I actually like the briefings which is why I think that they’re — I like the classified briefings. I feel like I learn more at every single briefing. I also think there needs to be public hearings, answer our questions in public and get responses in public. But, I mean, listen, in the course of six months plus that we’ve been working on this I feel so much better. I just feel much more informed about the topic, the offices of jurisdiction, the office of the Department of Defense, the office of AARO [All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office].”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “And so I, what’s important for me, as someone who’s interested generally in the topic — and have been long before I was in Congress — to learn, absorb the information and ask for more information.”
ICYMI — Ask a Pol’s exclusive w/ Rep. Moskowitz
ML: “What got you interested in the topic?”
RG: “I mean, I’ve always been a science-fiction fan, as a kid.”
ML: “Nice.”
RG: “I’m interested, it’s just my interest in, you know, space, in science fiction, in humanity and all of that. So, I’ve just always — and I think I’m not one that’s ever believed that the universe isn’t complex — you know, it’s a complex, magical, large place and I think it’s okay to have a broad worldview of what could be out there.”
ML: “Yeah?”
RG: “Notably, of course, there’s no conclusive evidence of any of this, but, I’d like to think there is.”
ML: “Right? What have you thought of Sean Kirkpatrick’s post-AARO tour, where he’s saying like…”
RG: “Sean? Oh, wait, Sean…?”
ML: “Yeah, former head of AARO.”
RG: “Yeah, yeah. Listen, I don’t — I don’t know. I’m not gonna comment on that. I think that…”
ML: “It seems like once he left the role he’s like, ‘There’s no there there. All these whistleblowers are useless.’”
RG: “I think what’s more important is listening to the folks that are there now.”
ML: “Yeah. Fair, fair.”
RG: “I think that’s more important to me right now. I don’t know him, I mean, I’m not sure about what his — I’m not sure what he has to say. So, you know, any former official I think is, generally, has credibility and we should listen to that but I think it’s more important to listen to the folks that are there now. And it’s more important for the public and for lawmakers to understand the complex system of how all of this is recorded, which I feel like I understand so much more today than I ever did.”
ML: “Nice.”
RG: “Okay.”
ML: “Know you gotta run. Preciate y’all.”
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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Garcia says SCIF briefing shone light on AARO's UAP recording process: "I feel like I understand so much more today than I ever did"