Congressman Rohrabacher Asks NASA About Alien Civilization On Mars (Video)

WASHINGTON, DC — A GOP congressman raised some eyebrows at a recent hearing on Capitol Hill when he asked NASA officials about the possibility of an intelligent alien civilization on Mars just a few thousand years ago.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California who has been in the news recently for his ties to the Russian government and some inflammatory comments, asked a panel of NASA experts testifying before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology about the possibility of intelligent Martians living not long ago on the Red Planet. The video of the exchange is embedded below.

"You have indicated that Mars had, was totally different thousands of years ago. Is it possible that there was a civilization on Mars thousands of years ago?” Rohrabacher asked.

Kenneth Farley, who is a project scientist with the NASA Mars Rover 2020 mission, replied that in fact Mars would have been significantly different billions, not thousands, of years ago, and that there is absolutely no evidence that any intelligent life ever existed there.

Rohrabacher pressed Farley, asking him if he would rule it out.

"I would say that is extremely unlikely," Farley responded.

While scientists are vigorously studying Mars for signs of ancient life, they are looking for very basic microbial life, not for human-like aliens.

Watch Rohrabacher Ask Scientists If Mars Had Ancient Alien Civilizations

Rohrabacher, a former speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan, is no stranger to controversy and outlandish remarks. He said on June 7 that the ISIS terrorist attacks in Tehran that killed 17 civilians may have been a good thing and that President Trump himself may have been behind the coordination of the attack.

He has also been linked to the Russian government by numerous reports. On Tuesday, The Atlantic published an extensive piece on Rohrabacher detailing his ties to Moscow. In May, the Washington Post reported that a month before Trump clinched the GOP nomination, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a closed-door meeting with other House leaders that, "There's two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump." House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was at the meeting, later said it was just a joke.

Rohrabacher represents California's 48th congressional district, which is based in Orange County near Los Angeles.

According to the Congressman's website, his district stretches "along the Pacific coastline of Orange County from Seal Beach to Laguna Beach, the district includes Seal Beach, Sunset Beach, Surfside, Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Newport Coast, Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, Fountain Valley as well as portions of Midway City, Westminster, Santa Ana and Garden Grove."

Incidentally, Aerospace, scientific and research companies, are among the major economic activities in the 48th District.

He is a vocal supporter of Trump and has voted to repeal Obamacare, denies that man-made global warming is real, opposes illegal immigration and supported Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Ashley Ludwig, Patch Editor, Orange County, contributed to this report.

Image via U.S. Congress