Grassley Works to Provide Whistleblower Protections to Legislative Branch Employees
GRASSLEY WORKS TO PROVIDE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES
WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today said that he is continuing his efforts to keep Congress living by the same rules as everybody else. He has introduced legislation to that would give the same whistleblower protections to employees in the legislative branch as to those afforded in the executive branch of government.
"The November elections showed us that Americans want an accountable and responsible Congress. Whistleblowers are a key component to ensuring that misdeeds are uncovered. It takes courage to stand alone and point out wrong doings and it's unacceptable that people would be retaliated against for doing the right thing," Grassley said.
Grassley's legislation would help protect legislative branch employees from retaliation because those individuals disclosed information that they reasonably believed is evidence of a violation of any law, rule, or regulation.
"It's whistleblowers who often serve as the check against the wrong-doings of the federal government. Whistleblowers in the executive branch have helped me do my job of oversight. It's simply not fair, nor is it good governance for Congress to enact whistleblower protections on the other branches of government without giving its own employees the same consideration," Grassley said.
Grassley has a long history of working with whistleblowers. He has demanded investigations of the unjust treatment of many whistleblowers throughout his tenure in Congress. He has championed whistleblowers at the FBI, FDA, IRS and many other federal agencies.
This bill is a natural outreach of legislation Grassley authored and got approved in 1995, the Congressional Accountability Act. This law guaranteed the same rights for congressional employees as private sector employees and ensured that members of Congress feel the impact of laws applied to private sector employers and small business owners across the country. The law brought Congress under major laws which address wage and hour questions, occupational safety and health issues.
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