Political Quotes

“I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation to reauthorize the Office of Special Counsel. I thank Representatives Blum, Connolly, and Meadows, as well as Chairman Chaffetz, for working with me in such a bipartisan way on this legislation. As my colleagues know, one of my top priorities as Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee is the protection of federal employees from discrimination and retaliation. The Office of Special Counsel plays an especially important role in ensuring that the work environment of federal employees is free of such prohibited personnel practices. OSC's last reauthorization ended in 2007. It is unacceptable that OSC still hasn't been authorized nearly ten years later. This legislation would reauthorize OSC through 2020, and it would make changes to help OSC be more effective. For example, it would make clear that OSC is entitled to access agency information in its investigations. This bill would also allow OSC to hold agencies more accountable for whistleblower retaliation. Under the bill, if an agency substantiates a whistleblower disclosure from OSC but fails to take a recommended corrective action, the agency must explain why it failed to take the action. This legislation would strengthen the tools available to OSC for addressing and correcting retaliation and discrimination in the federal workplace. I ask that my colleagues join me in supporting passage of H.R. 4639. The SPEAKER pro tempore.…”