Following are key sections of the House Oversight and Reform Committee report on a bill that the panel recently passed on a voice vote, typically a signal of a vote soon on the bill in the full House.
H.R. 2988 would establish several new protections for whistleblowers. Section 2(a) would prohibit investigations or referrals to inspectors general in retaliation against protected whistleblower activity. This change fills a critical hole created by a 2020 Federal Circuit Court decision that held that current whistleblower laws only prohibit a retaliatory investigation if the investigation ultimately resulted in a ‘‘significant change’’ in the employee’s working conditions.
Section 2(c) would prohibit federal employees from publicly disclosing the identity of an employee because of that employee’s whistleblowing activity. Public disclosure of a whistleblower’s identity can lead to threats against a whistleblower’s career, well-being, and even life. Attempts to out whistleblowers also deter other potential whistleblowers from coming forward.
Section 2(d) would amend the Lloyd–La Follette Act, 5 U.S.C. § 7211, to make clear that no officer or employee of the federal government—including the president or vice president—may interfere with or retaliate against a federal employee for sharing information with Congress. This subsection also clarifies that federal officers and employees have the right to petition Congress, provide information to Congress, and respond to congressional...
PHOTO: RSPCA VIA AFP LONDON - An animal welfare charity has revealed it rescued more than 250 dogs from one UK home, with a photo of the scene prompting “disbelief” and false claims that the image...