On September 9, 2025, the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets held a hearing titled “Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection” (Room HVC-210). Members played a newly surfaced video, introduced by Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), that he said came from MQ-9 drones operating off Yemen on Oct. 30, 2024; it appears to show a Hellfire missile striking a fast-moving glowing object that continues unaffected. The hearing’s aim, per the committee, was to press for greater transparency around UAP records and protections for those who come forward. ([House Oversight Committee][1])

Witnesses included Air Force veteran Jeffrey Nuccetelli, journalist George Knapp, and others; they criticized the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, alleged retaliation and roadblocks when reporting incidents, and urged Congress to compel disclosure. Committee leaders, including Chair Anna Paulina Luna, framed the session as part of a broader push to declassify federal secrets, while coverage by defense and space outlets underscored that lawmakers want answers and that more hearings and document requests are likely. ([House Oversight Committee][1])

Simeon Hein’s book Opening Minds (and his related talks) argues that government secrecy and denial around anomalous aerial phenomena—whether UFOs, UAPs, or remote viewing—creates a distorted public perception and suppresses legitimate scientific inquiry. The recent Sept. 9, 2025 Congressional hearing touches on precisely those themes: members of Congress explicitly pushed for transparency, whistleblower protections, and declassification so the public can better evaluate the reality of these encounters, rather than having information filtered through military or intelligence gatekeepers. This directly echoes Hein’s core point that society suffers when anomalous data are hidden or stigmatized. Additionally, Hein emphasizes the broader consciousness connection to anomalous phenomena—that the government’s reluctance to engage openly with remote viewing, UFOs, and related effects stems from their potential to challenge entrenched scientific and institutional paradigms. The hearing underscored that same tension: whistleblowers described retaliation and suppression when reporting anomalies, suggesting that institutions are still more focused on protecting reputations and control of information than on embracing disruptive data. In this sense, the hearing validates Hein’s warnings that without openness, both science and democracy risk being stunted by secrecy.

[1]: https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/restoring-public-trust-through-uap-transparency-and-whistleblower-protection/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and ..."