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Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise in support of Hampton Dellinger's nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel.

Federal employees must be able to report waste, fraud, and abuse across government without fear of retaliation. Whistleblowers have exposed serious safety shortfalls, wasteful spending, and corruption. They help keep government accountable, and they are indispensable in the oversight work of Congress and the inspectors general.

The Office of Special Counsel protects whistleblowers' rights. The Agency investigates their disclosures and prosecutes instances of retaliation against vulnerable employees.

In addition to those responsibilities, OSC helps ensure that the Federal Government is free from improper partisan activity and protects our servicemembers and veterans from employment discrimination.

Mr. Dellinger is well qualified to lead the Office of Special Counsel. He has nearly three decades of legal experience, including as a senior official in the North Carolina Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Department of Justice. He has worked with whistleblowers in both the public and private sector and has advanced policies that protect whistleblower rights.

Most importantly, Mr. Dellinger has demonstrated the utmost integrity throughout his career. He is willing to take on powerful interests for the public good and will lead OSC in an independent, nonpartisan way.

I urge my colleagues to join me in confirming Mr. Dellinger to this important role today.

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