Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the District of Columbia Court Employees Whistleblower Protection Act of 1999 (H.R. 858). My colleagues, this is important legislation. It deserves strong bi-partisan support. As my good friends Tom Davis and Eleanor Holmes Norton acknowledge this legislation is important to correct an error that has permitted employees of the District's Superior and Appeals Courts to operate without any whistleblower protection. The error was probably an oversight. As part of home-rule back in 1971, Congress fused the functions of state and municipal court functions to produce the D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Court of Appeals. Both courts are funded by the city, but their judges are nominated for 15-year terms by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Apparently no one sought or succeeded in extending the District's merit protection laws to court employees. As a result, court employees have lacked the same whistleblower protections all other district government employees receive. Unfortunately, it took a series of troubling events to bring this issue back to the attention of Congress.”