The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to strengthen whistle-blower protections for federal employees, including those working for the Transportation Security Administration and others employed in national security areas.
A whistle-blower is an employee who reports to authorities or goes public with illegal or unethical activity by personnel in the government agency or civilian business where the whistle-blower works.
The bill also would create specific protections for those who expose abuses of authority by those trying to manipulate or censor scientific research in federal agencies for political purposes. Critics of the former President George W. Bush's administration alleged that scientific findings often were influenced by politics.
The measure, passed by a voice vote, was attached as an amendment to the $819 billion House economic stimulus package.
Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who sponsored the measure with Republican Rep. Todd Platts, said it was relevant to the stimulus package because that legislation proposes to allot $550 billion in public funds, and "we need to make sure these funds are effectively spent and that they are not lost due to any waste, fraud or abuse."
"Most significant," said seven watchdog organizations including the Government Accountability Project, the National Whistleblower Center and the Union of Concerned Scientists, "it creates a permanent shield for federal employee and contractor whistle-blowers who challenge any misspending and it will keep protecting taxpayers long after stimulus funds are gone."
Lawmakers have been trying for nearly a decade to strengthen federal whistle-blower protections. Last year the House passed a bill identical to the measure approved by the chamber Wednesday, and the Senate passed a similar bill.
They were unable to find common ground and faced a veto from the Bush White House, which argued that it could compromise national security and was overly burdensome.
Van Hollen said he was confident the Senate would consider the measure and that President Barack Obama would support it.
The bill would extend rights to all national security whistle-blowers, including those at the FBI and the intelligence agencies. Also covered are federal contract workers and some 40,000 airport baggage screeners working for the Transportation Security Administration.
It gives those covered by the measure access to jury trials in federal district court to challenge reprisals and ends the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals monopoly on appellate reviews.
