The Election Is Over. The Disclosure Coalition Is Intact.
- Sat, Nov 7 at 4:58 PM
Greetings Mark M,
With all but a few election contests decided, the midterms have delivered a result with challenges but also positive potential for the disclosure movement. Democrats have won majorities in both chambers, and the bipartisan coalition that carried this issue from ridicule to the floor of Congress has not only held but is positioned to do more. Here is my read on what it means.
First, the champions of disclosure were reelected. Nearly every member of Congress who has carried the fight for transparency is returning. In the House, Representatives Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Tim Burchett (R-TN), André Carson (D-IN), Eric Burlison (R-MO), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), among others, all won their races. In the Senate, Mike Rounds (R-SD), a lead author of the UAP Disclosure Act, was reelected, and his partner in that effort, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), is poised to return as Majority Leader. And one of the most entrenched skeptics of this effort, Representative Mike Turner (R-OH), lost his seat outright. The bipartisan core that got us this far is intact, and a new majority brings opportunities in addition to the inevitable challenges that go with change.
As the gavels change hands, two committees matter enormously to us. The leadership of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is expected to pass to Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), and that of the House Armed Services Committee will go to Representative Adam Smith (D-WA). Both are serious legislators, though neither has yet been a leading voice for transparency on this subject. These are precisely the committees through which disclosure must travel, which makes informing them and earning their engagement our most important task in the months ahead. That is the work our advocacy campaign was built to do. Please spread it far and wide, if you haven’t already done so.
The new majorities arrive with a full agenda, including oversight of the administration, so our job is to make sure disclosure earns a place on that agenda. The case is a strong one. Transparency is the one oversight issue that cuts across every party line, and the public interest in it has never been higher.
As we head into 2027, I am cautiously optimistic about the potential for disclosure. The New Paradigm Institute will keep the pressure on both sides of the aisle, and with our coalition intact and a new Congress about to be seated, I believe we’re positioned for progress.
In the latest episode of my podcast, Full Disclosure, I provide a detailed analysis of the election results and what they mean for disclosure. I encourage you to watch the episode.
Together, we create the future.
Danny Sheehan
President and Chief Counsel
The New Paradigm Institute
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