UFOs in the Halls of Congress

Are UFOs politically prudent? Despite a recent Gallup survey indicating 41% of Americans believe the earth has been visited by alien spacecraft, a policy platform that includes ‘flying saucers’ or extraterrestrials doesn’t typically poll well on the campaign trail. This trend has started to shift, ushering in a new wave of legislative eagerness to embrace a once-taboo topic. Not surprisingly, the political change-of-heart has emerged in parallel with the public’s resurgent interest in UFOs. 

Continuing a legacy started last year by Senator Marco Rubio, Representative Ruben Gallego and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have both introduced proposals requesting national defense dollars to fund federal investigations into UFOs and related phenomena. The legislators’ recent enthusiasm is couched between concerns about a potential breakthrough foreign technology and an apparent open-mindedness about the anomalous nature of unexplained sightings. (Gallego has left open the possibility that they could be “emerging tech from strategic competitors or adversaries or aerial phenomena from unknown origins.”) Somewhere in the middle there’s a play for increased spending on national defense and the added bonus of complimentary media exposure.

While their actions might be entirely altruistic, politicians often harbor ulterior motives. Funneling money to contractors, pushing lobbyists’ agendas, and appealing to constituents are the holy trinity of reelection—and savvy politicians are realizing that all three can be achieved by strategically embracing today’s UFO conversation. 

Marco Rubio proved that talking about UFOs in Congress can act as a conduit to the cameras. After pushing for a public report on airborne anomalies from the Department of National Intelligence, Rubio was featured widely in newspapers, magazines, and television—free publicity that kept his name front and center in voters’ minds.

Senator Gillibrand is also getting a taste of the UFO limelight. While there are hundreds of amendments attached to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, few of those are garnering the same media buzz as her ‘UFO proposal.’ A Newsmax headline breathlessly referred to it as the “UFO Transparency Amendment,” while The Hill labeled it “historic.”

Gillibrand’s legislation is exciting for UFO-fans for a litany of reasons, but it also highlights the hidden potential for oversized and unchecked government spending. Her proposition calls for the creation of a brand new permanent four-letter agency to oversee ongoing UFO research (the Anomaly Surveillance and Resolution Office). It would also establish “a 25-member Aerial and Transmedium Phenomena Advisory Committee.” The request for additional offices and committees comes with the need for additional funding and personnel. 

If history is any indication, voters don’t view an association with UFOs as an automatic disqualifier for aspiring politicians. Former Senator Harry Reid wrangled $22 million out of the federal budget for a government sponsored study of UFOs and other areas of fringe science. His involvement with the topic didn’t injure his career—Reid served in the Senate for 30 years and was elevated by his peers to serve as House Majority Leader for a third of that time. 

Going back even further, in 1966 Congressman Ford wrote an open letter to the chairmen of the Armed Services and Science & Aeronautics Committees, urging them to take reports of strange objects in the skies seriously by setting up a government panel. The House Minority Leader did so at the behest of his constituents who had witnessed an unprecedented number of unexplained sightings. Ford’s letter included the words of a local journalist whose plea sounds like it could have been written yesterday: “We need to get all the data drawn together to one place and examined far more objectively than anyone has done so far.” 

After issuing multiple press releases in his very-public crusade for a transparent governmental review of UFO reports, things worked out well for the representative from Michigan. Congressman Gerald Ford eventually became President, although he wasn’t elected to that office by the people of the United States. He only assumed the role in 1974 after Vice President Spiro Agnew and President Richard Nixon both vacated their positions.

Shots fired at J. Allen Hynek!

The question remains: Do UFOs get votes? John Podesta thinks so. He served as the chief of staff for Bill Clinton in the 1990s—a time when the pursuit of unidentified flying objects was considered off-limits. He believes the paradigm in D.C. has shifted, recently telling Politico that he feels it’s no longer “career-ending” for an elected official to openly discuss the subject. 

This is good news for the newest crop of UFO-endorsing politicians, but only time and voter turnout will determine if an affiliation with the phenomenon will prove beneficial.

The Observer is a physical zine that covers topics of high strangeness. Subscribe for free below!