Why the Senate's vote to make UFO reports public could be 'extremely important'
![Marco Rubio.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jPdAtR2YSQdWWmNThPr8Km-415-80.jpg)
UFO research just got a whole lot more serious. What was once considered a hobby for conspiracy theorists received a big boost from the United States Senate on Tuesday.
The Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), voted to require U.S. intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to compile an analysis of all data collected on "unidentified aerial phenomenon," including sightings and recordings from Navy pilots over the years, which are what really caught the upper chamber's attention. What's more, the panel wants it go public.
The provision is part of the annual intelligence authorization bill, so it still needs to be adopted by the full Senate. Regardless, it's seen as good news by those who have advocated for more government research into UFOs. "It further legitimizes the issue," Christopher Mellon, a former top Pentagon intelligence and Senate staffer who has pressed for more research, told Politico. "That in itself is extremely important. People can talk about it without fear of embarrassment."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Mellon said "there is no telling" what the potential implications could be. The expanded research could reveal anything from major technological breakthroughs by foreign adversaries that could shed light on U.S. "military vulnerability," to — for the dreamers — whether "there have been probes visiting our planet." Read more at Politico.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Why is China stockpiling resources?
The Explainer The superpower has been amassing huge reserves of commodities at great cost despite its economic downturn
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Paraguay's dangerous dalliance with cryptocurrency
Under The Radar Overheating Paraguayans are pushing back over power outages caused by illegal miners
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Week contest: Tattoo prediction
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Menendez convicted of bribery, fraud, and extortion
Speed Read The New Jersey Democratic Senator was found guilty in a federal corruption trial
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Florida judge dismisses Trump documents case
Speed Read Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Hamas says military chief survived Israeli strike
Speed Read An Israeli bombing failed to hit its intended target, military commander Mohammed Deif, but killed at least 90 Palestinians
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
First Israeli report on Oct. 7 finds 'severe mistakes and errors' in IDF response
Speed Reads Israeli military admits failures in response to deadly Hamas attack that triggered Gaza war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden saw neurologist during physicals
Speed Read Following his bad debate performance, many are asking questions about the president's brain
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia bombs Kyiv children's hospital
Speed Reads The daytime barrage interrupted heart surgeries and killed at least 40 people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published