Journalist Michael Shellenberger told the committee about information he received from a whistle-blower, an alleged special access program dubbed Immaculate Constellation, which scoops up all UFO or UAP photos, videos, and data from classified platforms and sensors. A document shared with the committee described one disturbing encounter.

"Americans deserve to understand what the government has learned about UAP sightings, and the nature of any potential threats these phenomena pose."

While steps have been made toward transparency, some elected leaders say progress has been stymied by the Department of Defense's reluctance to declassify material on UFOs, which the government now refers to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP.