Who?
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) — Co-chair, Congressional UAP Caucus; Member, House Oversight & Accountability Committee
LISTEN: Laslo & Burchett
Ask a Pol asks:
You guys are gonna be gone through July Fourth and then you come back and there’s just a short legislative window before Congress’ annual monthlong August recess, is the best hope for a second public UFO hearing in the fall?
UAP Caucus hasn’t abandoned UFO - or USO - hearing
“Something like that,” Rep. Tim Burchett exclusively tells Ask a Pol. “[UAP Caucus Co-chair Anna Paulina] Luna and I’ve been talking about it — trying to get a good date.”*
*Luna was tied up this week, but last month she exclusively told Ask a Pol the UAP Caucus was still "working on doing something with USO" for their second public UAP hearing in the House Oversight Committee.
Ask a Pol’s BDAY BLOWOUT SALE: 1 day left!!!
ICYMI — Moskowitz tells Ask a Pol he thinks a public UAP hearing is dead b/c of election
SUBSCRIBER QUESTION: Jason Sands
Have you heard of Jason Sands?
“No, I don’t know him,” Burchett tells us.
Whistleblower protection measure?
Are there conversations still happening about protections for whistleblowers?
“Yes. Yes there has,” Burchett tells us. “But it’s at — it’s like moving a mountain.”
“The lawyers are on it”
Why’s a new act needed if there are already whistleblower protections on the books?
“Yeah, but no. You’re talking about dishonorable people that are going to do dishonorable things to honorable people that are coming forth with information,” Burchett tells Ask a Pol. “Locks and fences are only made to keep us honest people out.”
Would you maybe want that as an amendment to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)?
“I would think something like that, but the lawyers are on it,” Burchett says. “I mean, they block that every time we try, so we’ll try something with this.”
Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. & founder of Ask a Pol — a new, people-powered press corps.
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), slightly edited for clarity.
SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT*
*Student? Lost your gig? Hard times? Been there. Got you. No questions asked. Just ping us.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Tim Burchett
SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo briefly catches Burchett as he’s rushing up the Capitol steps so he can join his colleagues in voting on the floor of the US House of Representatives.
Matt Laslo: “What’s the name, Jason Sands mean to you?”
Tim Burchett: “Who?”
ML: “Jason Sands?”
TB: “No, I don’t know him.”
SUMMER INTERN FUND!
Consider chipping in to support our independent journalism — Venmo, PayPal, Cash App — or just buy us a beer!
ML: “Nothing?”
TB: “Can you do me a favor off the record?”
Conversation goes off the record for roughly :20 seconds.
ML: “Back on the record, do you think — you guys are gonna be gone through the Fourth, come back just a short window — would like maybe the fall for the hearing be best hope?”
TB: “Something like that, [Rep. Paulina] Luna and I’ve been talking about it — trying to get a good date.”
Ask a Pol needs you!!!!!
ML: “Has there been more talk about any whistleblower protection measures?”
TB: “Yes. Yes there has but it’s at — it’s like moving a mountain. I think they’ve got those in place just so they can — on the record — I think they’re in place because there’s a lot of holes in them. I mean you saw what happened to [UAP Whistleblower David] Grusch.”
ML: “Yeah.”
TB: “I mean, he just got attacked basically after his testimony.”
ML: “Well cause aren’t there whistleblower protections already on the books?”
TB: “Yeah—I think what you’re. Yeah, but no, you’re talking about dishonorable people that are going to do dishonorable things to honorable people that are coming forth with information. So you know, it’s — locks and fences are only made to keep us honest people out.”
ML: “But if you guys — would you maybe want that as an amendment to the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act] or…?”
TB: “I would think something like that but the lawyers are on it. I mean they block that every time we try so we’ll try something with this.”
ML: “I’ll be watching. Preciate ya.”
Content posted at AskaPol.com is copyrighted. Use our original content to move the story forward. And, please, link to us.
Tim Burchett: UFO hearing & new whistleblower protections still in works