FILE - Then-U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick is seen at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit on May 21, 2010 in Detroit. Kilpatrick and six other former members of Congress are chairing a hearing on whether there is life beyond Earth. It began Monday, April 29, 2013, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.., and runs through May 3. A private group sponsoring the hearing says it hopes to prove that aliens contact Earth, and that the government is trying to keep it secret. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio DETROIT (AP) - Ex-U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Detroit and six other former Congress members are presiding over hearings on the existence of extraterrestrials. The 30 hours of congressional-style hearings kicked off Monday and are scheduled to run through Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Those testifying hope to prove that aliens contact Earth - and that the government is trying to keep it secret. Kilpatrick tells The Detroit News (http://bit.ly/Y8HUMc) she's been researching the topic and is "looking forward to the week's activities." The News says Kilpatrick, who is being paid $20,000 plus expenses, will chair the panel on Tuesday. Kilpatrick is a Democrat who served in Congress from 1997-2011. Her son, ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, is awaiting sentencing after being convicted on two dozen counts of corruption. Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/