Lloyd Austin

Lloyd Austin was involved in the UAP reporting bill signed by Trump in 2020 and the 2023 Senate hearing on AARO funding. At a March 2023 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand questioned Austin about the budget request for the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. Austin pledged to fully fund the office in the future. In June 2021, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Austin had been briefed on the progress of a UAP report. In May 2023, Sens. Mark Warner and Marco Rubio wrote a letter to Austin expressing concern about the implementation of AARO guidance established via the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation gave Austin broad authority to determine who will work on the UFO project and the parameters of the research.