Political Quotes

“today, the Senate will finally pass the bipartisan Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2010, S. 372. I thank Senator Akaka and Senator Collins for their dedication to this legislation and for working with me and Senator Grassley on key changes to make the bill even stronger in its protection of whistleblowers. I have worked for years to protect whistleblowers from retaliation, whether by government or corporate employers, and this bill is an important step forward in that ongoing process. Whistleblowers are instrumental in alerting the public and Congress to wrongdoing in Federal agencies. In many cases, their willingness to step forward has resulted in important governmental reform, and has even saved lives. Congress must encourage Federal employees with reasonable beliefs about government misconduct to report such fraud or abuse by offering meaningful protection to those who blow the whistle, rather than leaving them vulnerable to reprisals. Unfortunately, whistleblower laws have been weakened by many court decisions that have ignored congressional intent and eroded employee protections. The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act will help restore and expand the protections for Federal employees envisioned by the original Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989.”