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Who?
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) — Co-chair, Congressional UAP Caucus; Oversight Committee
LISTEN: Laslo & Burchett
Ask a Pol asks:
Were you able to see that Joint Chiefs of Staff UAP measure that someone FOIA’d?
Key Burchett:
“I follow up with Comer,” Burchett exclusively tells Ask a Pol.
“Have you talked to him about it?”
“Yeah,” Burchett says. “He’s open. But, you know, right now they’re trying to get through all this [Biden impeachment]…”
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Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Tim Burchett
SCENE: After casting his last vote before Congress took 2 weeks off for Easter, Burchett slowly walks across the Capitol grounds — and through a pro-Palestine protest — back to his office across the street.
Matt Laslo: “Were you able to see that Pentagon — or no, the Joint Chiefs of Staff UAP measure that someone FOIA’d?”
Tim Burchett: “Yeah, heard about it. The one that said we’re a bunch of idiots?”
ML: “Well, no, this was Joint Chiefs last May. But basically, the UAP issue is definitely on their radar, is what it seems.”
TB: “You know, I think, honestly, what I think it is, I think they see funding.”
ML: “Yeah? How…”
TB: “That’s what I think. That’s my thought.”
ML: “So is your hunch that this is the military contracting industry that’s kinda doing this?”
The crowd near the Capitol yelling “Palestinian people deserve human rights!”, “Fund UNRWA!” and “Stop genocide!”
ML: “Do you — where do you guys go from here? What’s your big — man, thing is, seems like it’s always a holding pattern, but I guess MTG [Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene] (R-GA) just filed the motion to vacate.”
TB: “Everybody’s trying to, everybody’s trying to…”
Protesters keep yelling “Fund UNRWA now!” and “Stop genocide!” and Burchett and Laslo can barely hear each other.
ML: “Stop yelling in our ears.”
TB: “Fund what? What is she saying? Fund what?”
ML: “UNWRA…”
TB: “What’s UNWRA?”
ICYMI: UNRWA — the United Nations Relief and Works Administration for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East — was recently defunded by the Biden administration.
ML: “UN — it was the one that had Palestinians — or Hamas, infiltrate it.”
Burchett says hello to a visitor with a pup.
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TB: “Ohh. Good baby.”
Man: “Yeah. Of course.”
TB: “Appreciate you, man.”
ML: “Of course.”
TB: “What’s your dog’s name?”
Man: “Bingo.”
TB: “Bingo. Hey, buddy. Good-looking dog.”
ML: “So, have you guys got any word on the Select [UAP] Subcommittee?”
TB: “No, we ain’t heard nothin about it, but I think everything’s up and running.”
ML: “But if the Speaker is getting challenged right now, maybe it’s a good time to bring it up, ‘cause he needs your vote.”
Laslo laughs.
TB: “He needs our vote, yeah. I don’t know if it could hinge on that though, honestly.”
ML: “Yeah?”
TB: “You know, I mean, he needs more than mine.”
ML: “So what’s — I’m not going to see you for two weeks. What’s next with this?”
TB: “We just wait until we get a response, and we need to get the UAP Caucus...”
Burchett holds the door for a group of visitors outside of the Longworth House Office Building.
TB: “C’mon, guys. You’re the only ones in here working. I’m in Congress, you know I ain’t working.”
Man: “Oh, I’m not gonna believe that. I know you’re working.”
TB: “Ehh, not hardly.”
Burchett greets a Capitol Police officer.
TB: “Hey brother.”
Burchett turns back to Laslo.
TB: “You good?”
ML: “So how big of a player are these government shutdowns hanging over this Congress, because that just kind of feels like every other week?”
TB: “For the UAP issue?”
ML: “No. It just feels like this Congress just lurching from one crisis to another.”
TB: “Yeah, you know, it gives people an excuse not to do anything and to blame why they can’t do anything — which they haven’t done anything for years — it blames it on that. And that’s just ridiculous.”
ML: “Who do you follow up with on the Select UAP Caucus? Is that [Oversight Chair James] Comer? Or is that Speaker Johnson?”
TB: “Yeah, I follow up with Comer.”
ML: “Yeah? Have you talked to him about it?”
TB: “Yeah. Yeah, yeah. He, um…”
ML: “He’s open?”
TB: “He’s open. But, you know, right now they’re trying to get through all this. I think he’d like to see us get…”
ML: “All the Biden stuff?”
TB: “Yeah. But that’s the way it works. Holler if you need anything. Have a good Easter.”
ML: “But hey, hey, they’re fumbling with the Biden stuff, so maybe they’re going to want to move this to the top?”
TB: “Yeah — diversions, maybe.”
ML: “Have a good one.”
Burchett enters his office building, Laslo heads back to Capitol repeating, “Diversions.”
Tim Burchett says Oversight Chair Comer’s "open" to new UAP Subcommittee