On Dec. 10, the Senate approved the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, S. 372. The vote was hailed by accountability advocates such as the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) and the Government Accountability Project. A diverse coalition of groups, including OMB Watch, called for the House to move quickly to pass the bill as well.

Federal employees are the front line against waste, fraud, and abuse. Employees who blow the whistle on such practices make us all safer and save taxpayer dollars. But the threat of career retaliation can have a chilling effect on employees who would speak out. Unfortunately, under current law, the Merit Systems Protection Board rules against 99 percent of whistleblowers who file suit to defend themselves against retaliation. The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act includes significant reforms to ensure that federal employees don't have to choose between reporting wrongdoing or keeping their jobs.

You can use POGO's action alert to urge your representative to pass the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act and protect those who protect us.

Image by Steven Depolo, used under the Creative Commons Attribution license