On November 13, 2024, the House Oversight Committee held a joint hearing titled "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth," bringing together the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation and the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs. The hearing marked a significant evolution from 2023's focus on witness credibility to a deeper examination of institutional mechanisms — and introduced one of the most explosive documents yet entered into the congressional UAP record.
The Witnesses
Luis Elizondo
Luis Elizondo, the former Department of Defense official who headed the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) and later became a vocal advocate for UAP transparency, testified under oath for the first time. Elizondo provided details about his time running AATIP, the bureaucratic resistance he encountered, and the reality of the UAP threat to national security.
His testimony lent official weight to claims that had previously circulated only through media interviews and his book. Under oath, Elizondo confirmed that UAPs pose a genuine national security concern and that the government's response has been inadequate.
Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet (Ret.)
Retired Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, former Oceanographer of the Navy and CEO of Ocean STL Consulting, brought a unique perspective: transmedium phenomena. Gallaudet testified about objects that move seamlessly between air, water, and space — a capability that defies known human technology. His background as a senior Navy officer and oceanographer gave his testimony particular credibility on the transmedium aspect of UAP.
Michael Gold
Michael Gold, the former NASA Associate Administrator for Space Policy and Partnerships who served on NASA's UAP Independent Study Team, represented the scientific establishment. His testimony focused on the importance of applying rigorous scientific methodology to UAP research and reducing stigma within the federal government. NASA's involvement signaled that UAP had moved from a purely national security concern to a legitimate scientific question.
Michael Shellenberger
Journalist and author Michael Shellenberger provided investigative context, discussing his reporting on government secrecy and the institutional barriers to transparency. Shellenberger's presence reflected the growing role of independent journalism in forcing UAP issues into the public sphere.
The Immaculate Constellation Revelation
The most significant moment of the hearing came when Representative Nancy Mace entered a document into the record titled "Immaculate Constellation" — described as a Pentagon report detailing a covert UAP intelligence collection program. The document suggested that the Department of Defense had been systematically collecting UAP intelligence through a program that existed outside normal congressional oversight channels.
The "Immaculate Constellation" document became an immediate centerpiece of UAP transparency advocacy. It suggested that the Pentagon had, for years, been operating an intelligence collection program focused on UAPs without adequate congressional notification — a potential violation of the National Security Act.
Transforming the Debate
The 2024 hearing marked a shift from "are UAPs real?" to "what programs exist, and who authorized them?" The question was no longer about the phenomenon itself, but about the institutional response — or lack thereof — from the Pentagon and intelligence community.
This hearing also laid critical groundwork for the UAP Disclosure Act and the creation of Rep. Luna's Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, which would hold the next major hearing in September 2025. The institutional architecture for transparency was being built, one hearing at a time.