Kirsten Gillibrand is a Democratic U.S. Senator from New York serving since 2009. She previously represented New York’s 20th congressional district in the House from 2007 to 2009 after working as a lawyer in private practice and at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Gillibrand sponsored the 2021 amendment that led to the creation of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office to centralize UAP reporting and analysis. She has continued to advocate for funding, data sharing, and declassification of UAP records through subsequent defense bills and hearings.
- Born December 9, 1966, in Albany, New York; graduated Dartmouth College 1988 and UCLA School of Law 1991.
- Elected to U.S. House in 2006; appointed to U.S. Senate in January 2009 to fill Hillary Clinton’s seat.
- Sponsored 2021 NDAA amendment establishing what became AARO.
- Chaired 2023 Senate hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena.
- Secured full AARO funding in FY2024 NDAA and supported 2026 UAP file releases.
- United StatesBorn and raised in New York
- U.S. SenateSenator from New York, 2009–present
- Democratic PartySenator and former DSCC chair
- U.S. House of RepresentativesRepresentative, New York 20th District, 2007–2009
- Dartmouth CollegeA.B. 1988
- UCLA School of LawJ.D. 1991
- All-domain Anomaly Resolution OfficeLegislative sponsor of establishing amendment
Background
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik was born on December 9, 1966, in Albany, New York. She grew up in a family with political connections, including a grandmother active in local Democratic politics. Gillibrand attended the Emma Willard School and then Dartmouth College, where she majored in Asian Studies and studied in Beijing and Taiwan. She graduated magna cum laude in 1988.
After Dartmouth, Gillibrand earned her J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 1991. She began her legal career as an associate at the New York firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, where she worked on cases including representation of tobacco company Philip Morris. In 2000 she served as special counsel to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo.
Gillibrand returned to private practice at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP from 2001 to 2005. She worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign and decided to enter electoral politics herself. In 2006 she won election to the U.S. House of Representatives for New York’s 20th district, defeating a longtime Republican incumbent.
Gillibrand served in the House from January 2007 until January 2009. On January 23, 2009, New York Governor David Paterson appointed her to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton upon her confirmation as Secretary of State. Gillibrand resigned her House seat and was sworn in as senator on January 27, 2009.
She won a special election in 2010 and subsequent full terms in 2012, 2018, and 2024. Gillibrand has served on the Senate Armed Services Committee and chaired its Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee. In 2025 she became chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. She ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Gillibrand’s UAP work began in earnest in 2021 when she introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. The measure directed the establishment of a dedicated office to replace the Navy-led Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and required access to Department of Defense and intelligence community data on UAP sightings.
The amendment passed and contributed to the formal creation of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. Gillibrand later worked with Republican colleagues to secure sustained funding for AARO and to mandate declassification of UAP records with limited national security exceptions.
In April 2023 Gillibrand chaired a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing on UAP. She questioned witnesses on data collection, stigma reduction for military reporters, and the office’s role in recent incidents. She has issued multiple public statements supporting transparency and criticizing delays in record releases.
Gillibrand has not claimed personal knowledge of classified UAP programs or extraterrestrial evidence. Her record consists of legislative sponsorship, funding advocacy, and oversight hearings aimed at institutionalizing government investigation and public disclosure of UAP information.
Where They Are Now
As of October 25, 2026, Kirsten Gillibrand continues to serve as the senior U.S. Senator from New York. Her current term runs through January 2031.
She remains active on defense and intelligence oversight matters, including continued support for AARO operations and UAP transparency measures.
Last updated 25 October 2026