For years now, corrupt interests have co-opted our government for
political gain and private profiteering. Our best line of defense when
the law is ignored and regulation fails are the informed insiders who
believe so strongly in the importance of accountability and saving
taxpayer dollars - and often saving lives - that they are willing to
risk their careers and safety to expose government wrongdoing.

It is a national disgrace that speaking out about government fraud,
misconduct, waste and corruption is still such a risky endeavor. More
often than not, whistleblowers suffer from some form of serious
retaliation, including threats, demotion or outright firing for exposing
wrongful conduct. Conscientious civil servants deserve strong statutory
protections, not risk and intimidation. Yet many end up sacrificing
because the 1989 Whistleblower Protection Act has been interpreted and
enforced in a way that weakens the protections Congress intended -
protections that government whistleblowers desperately need.

It’s time to end the discrimination and retaliation - as well as the
unmistakable and deeply chilling message it sends to all employees that
they should keep quiet, or else. Congress should complete the marathon
legislative effort to restore a credible Whistleblower Protection Act.

In March 2007, the landmark “Whistleblower Enhancement Protection Act
of 2007” passed the House by a veto-proof majority, 331-94. A weaker
Senate version, S. 274, passed last year by unanimous consent.

The differences between the bills are manageable. Yet negotiations have
stalled as industry lobbyists have swarmed the Capitol, imperiling many
critical protections that already passed with strong majority support.
Especially during this time of war, it is critical that we extend
protections to federal employees who work in national security,
including those at intelligence agencies, as well as to federally funded
contractors. Scientists also require specific protection.  Most
importantly, all federal employees and contractors also must have a
right to jury trials in federal court when other administrative remedies
have failed. We join 111 other concerned organizations in calling on
Congress to waste no more time enacting these protections - and not put
more whistleblowers at risk by hesitating. They deserve better. And the
American people deserve a government in which employees are not
threatened and penalized for being stewards of the public trust. We need
them now, more than ever.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 8th, 2008 at 10:30 am and is filed under Politics, Civil Rights .