Whistleblowers Dealt Setback in Stimulus

Advocates for stronger whistleblower protection who were jumping for joy not long ago, now are a bit more subdued because those protections were not included in the stimulus package President Barack Obama signs today.

Gleeful when the House passed the protections for federal workers and disappointed when they were stripped from the final compromise with the Senate, the advocates are no less determined to see the amendment pass, particularly since the package does cover whistleblowers who work for state and local governments and contractors, including federal contractors, who reveal waste, fraud and abuse.

The National Whistleblowers Center is circulating a letter from a whistleblower, Bunnatine (Bunny) H. Greenhouse, a former procurement executive with the Army Corps of Engineers, that calls for a petition drive urging the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to pass legislation that would cover national security whistleblowers. It also calls for allowing jury trials for employees who sue agencies that allegedly have taken reprisal action against whistleblowers.

"The House of Representative strongly backed the whistleblower amendment. We now know where the problem lies. We know where we need to focus our efforts. As a nation, we must educate our friends on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs. We need to explain why all federal employees must have access to federal court and a jury trial," says the Greenhouse letter.

By Sara Goo  |  February 17, 2009; 2:57 PM ET  | Category:  whistleblower
Previous: Bill Aimed at Sick Leave Controversy | Next: A Setback For Whistleblowers

The comments to this entry are closed.