Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, a member of the House Oversight Committee involved in UFO hearings, has raised allegations of a potential government cover-up to prevent the American people from learning the truth about these unexplained aerial phenomenons. During an appearance on the “Event Horizon” podcast, Burchett claimed that he has personally viewed classified UFO footage that has not been released to the public, suggesting that the Pentagon is working to keep its intelligence on UFOs secret.

“They’re out there, and if they have this kind of technology, then they could turn us into a charcoal briquette,” Burchett said. “And if they can travel light-years or at the speeds that we’ve seen, and physics as we know it, fly underwater, don’t show a heat trail, things like that, then we are vastly out of our league.”

Currently, the House Oversight Committee is conducting an investigation into UFOs and possible alien life, and it is expected to hold a public hearing later in July to disclose its findings. Burchett’s comments have added to the suspense, as he asserts that the government has possessed evidence of UFOs since at least 1897, implying that questions that are still being asked today could have been answered over a century ago.

The committee initiated its latest investigation following claims made by former intelligence official and whistleblower David Grusch, who stated that the government possesses a “crashed alien spacecraft” and is engaged in a secret program to reverse-engineer it. Since then, the revelations have continued to unfold. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has disclosed that several other high-level government whistleblowers have come forward to support these claims and have made additional allegations of UFO evidence being covered up.

“Frankly a lot of them are very fearful,” Rubio said of the alleged government whistleblowers. “Fearful of their jobs, fearful of their clearances, fearful of their career.”

According to Burchett, the objective is for the government to release its files and allow the public to see what he and other government officials have witnessed but have been sworn to secrecy about. He believes that the truth about UFOs and possible alien encounters is not just out there but already here. However, he has expressed doubts about whether the information will ever come to light.

“Let’s just turn loose the reports, quit with the redacted reports that look like Swiss cheese with everything whited out or blacked out,” Burchett said. “Just give us all the information and let the American public decide. We can handle it, stop with the arrogance, stop with the corruption, let’s just get it all out there.”