"Congress Demands U.F.O. Records Release Amid Whistleblower Nightmare"

Congress has passed legislation directing the National Archives to collect and disclose government documents related to U.F.O.s and unidentified phenomena within 25 years, unless classified for national security reasons. However, the measure falls short of the more aggressive steps lawmakers had sought for greater transparency. Lawmakers had proposed establishing a presidential commission and ordering the Defense Department to declassify records, but these provisions were dropped during negotiations. The measure grants government agencies the authority to determine whether certain records should remain classified, citing national security threats or invasion of personal privacy. Critics argue that the lack of a review board means that declassification will be left to entities that have historically blocked disclosure.