From the National
Whistleblower Center, June 19, 2007:
Take Action Now to ensure that S.274, the Senate whistleblower protection bill,
keeps moving!
The Good News:
Last week, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
voted to approve S.274 and send it to the Senate floor for debate. S.274 is
the Senate companion to the House bill H.R. 985. This legislation, if passed,
would constitute an important and hard fought victory for Federal employees.
S.274 has thus far drawn significant bi-partisan support, and should it reach
the Senate floor, is almost certain to pass with a veto-proof majority.
The Bad News:
After the vote, committee member Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) placed a hold on the
legislation, which, unless lifted by Sen. Coburn, could effectively kill the
bill.
This is a classic case of a Republican Senator carrying water for an administration
which has already issued a veto threat to the House version of this bill. It
is clear that the Bush Administration fears the type of effective oversight
that S.274/H.R.985 would provide. Those in power desperately want to hold on
to the current laws, because if these improvements to the whistleblower protection
laws were to pass, it would give employees the courage to speak the truth about
corruption and malfeasance that this administration has tried so hard to cover
up.