WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) outlined his concerns about the anti-gag provision of a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) form proposed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for all federal employees. Grassley sent a letter to OPM Director Scott Kupor about the provision, reiterating that legally protected whistleblower disclosures are not unauthorized disclosures or “leaks.”
As co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, Grassley spearheaded efforts to get anti-gag provisions signed into law. They require federal agencies to notify employees of their right to blow the whistle to Congress, an Inspector General or the Office of Special Counsel.
In his remarks, Grassley called on OPM to update the proposed NDA form to include the full anti-gag provision as required by law, not the current partial version. He also urged OPM to move the section toward the end of the agreement, like other government nondisclosure agreements, ensuring employees can see they’re not signing away their whistleblower rights as they sign.
Below are Grassley’s floor remarks, as prepared for delivery:
Today, I’ve come to the floor to speak about one of my favorite topics. Protecting whistleblowers.
I’ve conducted long standing oversight to ensure the federal government complies with all whistleblower laws.
Unfortunately, elements of the federal government – whether Republican or Democrat – have made efforts to silence...
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