US: Congressional Leadership Abandons Full UAPDA Enactment

Congressional leaders failed to include the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act in the FY 2026 NDAA, signaling reduced momentum for transparency measures despite public interest in UAP retrieval allegations.

Date

December 14, 2025

Location

Washington, D.C.District of Columbia🇺🇸

Type

Hearing

Country

🇺🇸 United States

Map

Read-only context

Source context

No explicit primary-source marker in current data

This box summarizes currently attached sources and documents. It is not automatic verification and does not replace editorial review.

Attached sources

Background

Legislative Development

On December 14, 2025, the proposed Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act (UAPDA) was not included in the final National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026, which was scheduled for presidential signature. This represented a significant setback for transparency advocates.

Context and Implications

Despite heightened public attention surrounding allegations of UAP retrieval and reverse-engineering programs, congressional momentum for comprehensive transparency measures appeared to diminish. The Trump White House did not provide substantial support for measures designed to investigate claims regarding recovered vehicles of unknown or non-human origin allegedly transferred to national laboratories and private defense contractors.

Partial Measures

While full enactment failed, the NDAA included a provision requiring the Pentagon to brief lawmakers on military operations since 2004 involving UAP intercepts conducted by integrated commands (Northcom and NORAD) responsible for North American defense.

McConnell Role Revealed

A January 2026 Liberation Times investigation identified Senator Mitch McConnell and his chief of staff Terry Carmack as the key figures behind the removal of Rep. Eric Burlison's UAP Disclosure Act amendment from the House NDAA package. McConnell's office allegedly pressed for the amendment's removal on jurisdictional grounds related to classified program access. Attorney Daniel Sheehan, known for his involvement in the Watergate and Pentagon Papers cases, also attributed the legislative failure to McConnell's interference.