Federal whistleblower protections left out of final stimulus bill
February 13, 2009 by
Filed under Congress & Courts
Hopes for federal whistleblower protections have been dashed by Sen. Susan Collins.
Hopes raised by the addition of federal whistleblower protections to the House stimulus bill were dashed when the Platts-Van Hollen amendment was stripped from the final compromise bill. TPM Muckraker and Southern Maryland Online report that the protections were stripped at the insistance of Republican Senator Susan Collins (Maine).
“It is disappointing Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) insisted on removing these important protections. I am committed to reintroducing this bi-partisan legislation when we return in late February. It is essential we ensure accountability and transparency in government in order to protect the taxpayers,” Van Hollen said in a statement. [Southern Maryland Online]
In the last two Congressional sessions, attempts to strengthen the toothless Whistleblower Protection Act suffered a similar fate, dying quietly in the back rooms of Congress after early fanfares of professed support. It’s great theater for the news media, politicians and unsuspecting constituents. But, for whistleblowers, the empty show of support is devastating. Federal whistleblowers face financial ruin from retaliatory dismissal and blacklisting, and have almost no chance under current law of getting relief in court. When whistleblowers suffer, so do their spouses, elderly parents and children.
Organizations like the Government Accountability Project, National Whistleblowers Center and Project on Government Oversight see, on a daily basis, the lives wrecked by weak whistleblower protections. They also see the consequences for taxpayers.
In a statement, POGO said, “Accountability got mugged today when congressional leaders stripped federal whistleblower protections from their compromise ’stimulus’ bill.” (Washington Independent, 2/11)
“It’s inexcusable to let the spending start without letting the whistleblowers keep it honest,” said GAP Legal Director, Tom Devine. NWC’s Steven Kohn said cutting whistleblower protections from the bill is “a license to fraud.”(Southern Maryland Online)