A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Wednesday that would expand protections for government whistleblowers.
The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2011 — whose sponsors include Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) — is virtually the identical bill that passed the Senate late last year. The legislation this year would give whistleblower protections to intelligence community members for the first time, ensure tipsters can make classified disclosures to Congress, clarify certain provisions and remove several court-imposed restrictions to the whistleblowing process in an effort to encourage people to report fraud, abuse, waste and illegal activities.
“Congress has a duty to provide strong protections for Federal whistleblowers,” Akaka said in a statement on Wednesday. “Only when Federal employees are confident that they will not face retaliation will they feel comfortable coming forward to disclose information that can be used to improve government operations, our national security, and the health of our citizens.”
A secret hold by senators prevented whistleblower legislation from coming up for a final vote in the Senate last year, according to the nonprofit Government Accountability Project. The House approved a version of the bill, but that legislation was never reconciled with the Senate’s measure.
