US Congress' move on UFO investigations revives 'one-percent doctrine': Reports

While a new amendment of the annual US defence policy bill is expected to pave way for a new office for the study of the UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, another name for the UFOs), Marik von Rennenkampff, who is a former analyst with the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, suggested that the Congress essentially revived the so-called ‘one-per cent doctrine’, which holds that if there is even a slight chance that a particular threat is real, the government must act as if it is a certainty.

According to The Hill, Rennenkampff said that the doctrine, which was first formulated by the Bush administration in 2001, has been revived as Congress is just days away from enacting historic legislation on UFOs. The US Congress is set to mandate the establishment of a rapid UFO response team, initiate a scientific study of objects that “exceed the known state of the area in the science of technology” and require investigations of health-related effects associated with UFO encounters. Additionally, the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act will also mandate unprecedented government transparency on UFOs.

Therefore, Rennenkampff said that this time the US Congress “is right to adopt a nuanced version of the ‘one percent’ doctrine”. “Unlike the catastrophic consequences of the Bush administration’s ‘one percent’ doctrine, Congress’s bold approach to UFOs amounts to a comparatively minuscule, low-risk investment that may finally unravel an enduring mystery,” Rennenkampff wrote in an article published by The Hill. 

Staying ahead of UFO sightings is ‘critical’

Meanwhile, as per the amendment introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the new office would be tasked with studying and responding to the UFOs. The special office would be provided with access to information from the Defence Department and the intelligence community. Moreover, the office will also delve into health impacts and possibly national security concerns related to the UAPs. Gillibrand had said that the phenomena presents a challenge to US’ dominance over the air.

“Staying ahead of UAP sightings is critical to keeping out the strategic edge and keeping our nation safe,” Gillibrand added. She also argued that the US “needs a coordinated effort to take control and understand whether these aerial phenomena belong to a foreign government or something else altogether.”

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