Federal Whistleblower Law Still Languishing, but Reid Says He is Committed
In March 2007 the House of Representatives passed HR.985, strong legislation to protect federal employee whistleblowers. The measure passed by a margin of 331-94.
In December 2007 the Senate unanimously passed S.274, its version of the law.
It is now August 2008, and Congress has not taken a single action to pass these reforms. Conference members have not been selected. The bills are just sitting on the desks of the party leaders, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid, and they have made no indication as to when or if they plan to push them forward. Until now.
Maybe it is just lip service, but in an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal, Sen. Reid (who was discussing an egregious case of retaliation against TSA whistleblowers in Nevada) says that he is committed to seeing the legislation pass, but doesn't say when. Even though the bills passed with the required two-thirds supermajority, Democrats could be worried about their ability to override a presidential veto (which has been promised). But on the other hand, maybe they are a little concerned about protecting whistleblowers when there is a good possibility they will be in power in a few months...
The bottom line is that these laws need to be passed. Whistleblowers are getting hammered left and right. The new law (at least the House version) would guarantee, among other things, jury trials in federal court and protection for national security whistleblowers (employees of the FBI, CIA, etc.). Congress recently passed strong private sector coverage for 20 million manufacturing employees who blow the whistle on unsafe consumer goods, why shouldn't government employees have the same protection when they report waste, fraud, abuse, and national security concerns?
Dear Readers, August 21, 2008
I am writing as it appears your Article is correct and to include that our Republican and Democrat Leadership to include US Government Speaker(s) of the House, US Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman(s) and US Senate Government Ethics Committee Leaders (Honorable US Senators Lieberman and Collins) and especially to include in reference to your and others 11/2003 courgeous, valiant and brilliant well constructed and documented Testimony before the US Senate Ethics Committee to have been seemingly well beyond the reasonable expectation to have passed this Superb and Excellent much needed Federal Employee Whistleblower Legislation to support to preserve our great Country, Constitution and Democracy.
On a positive prospective, hopefully in the immediate future our US Representative Legislatures will allow for the immediate Approval, Passage, Signed and Implimentation of this much needed Federal Whistleblower Employee Legislation to preserve and protect our Country Safety and Security and within and towards the proper respect and forthright regard towards our Constitution and Democracy.
Thank you and all for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Axel