Follow the Rules Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 6186, the Follow the Rules Act.

I appreciate the hard work done by Representative Duffy of Wisconsin and by Mr. Connolly of Virginia in taking the lead in introducing this legislation and then in working diligently and in a bipartisan manner to achieve its passage.

This bill would clarify that an employee who refuses to obey an order that would require the employee to violate the law, a rule, or a regulation is protected from retaliation under the Whistleblower Protection Act.

In June 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a ruling that is contrary to the Whistleblower Protection Act and that is contrary to congressional intent. As Mr. Gosar of Arizona previously laid out the facts, in Rainey v. MSPB, the court ruled that an employee who refuses to obey an order is protected only if the order would violate a statute but that the employee would not be protected if the order would simply violate a rule or a regulation.

This ruling incorrectly interprets congressional intent. Employees should be protected from retaliation if they do the right thing. That includes refusing to obey orders that would violate an agency's rules and regulations, as well as statutes. It is more critical than ever that we send a message to Federal employees that they have the right to do their jobs free from political pressure to bend or to violate the rules.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this legislation today.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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