NTEU Welcomes Senate Bill
on Whistleblower Rights
(NTEU) praised new Senate
legislation to enhance federal whistleblower protections,
noting the critical importance to our nation’s security
of extending those rights to Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) employees.
In a statement submitted as
the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee
on Oversight of Government Management convened a hearing
on whistleblower legislation, NTEU President Colleen M.
Kelley praised subcommittee Chairman Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii)
for introducing S. 372, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement
Act of 2009, and extending statutory whistleblower rights
to Transportation Security Officers (TSOs).
“TSOs have very limited
whistleblower protection and it is not guaranteed by law,
yet they are charged with the frontline security of the
nation’s travelers,” she said. “Federal
employees with such important responsibilities need adequate
protections to feel safe enough to report problems that
could affect our security.”
The NTEU leader also asked
the committee to consider adding language that would allow
federal employees full court access, including the right
to jury trials, as a way to further strengthen current laws.
If approved, S. 372 would
be the first major reform of federal whistleblower laws
in nearly two decades. It is similar to a House amendment
by Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.)
that the lawmakers attempted to attach to the federal economic
stimulus package that was approved earlier this year. The
House amendment, however, would have amended Title 5 regulations
to allow all circuits of the appellate courts to review
whistleblower cases. More
