Van Hollen Applauds Senate Passage of the House-Senate Compromise on Whistleblower Protection Bill

Statement

Last night the Senate passed S. 372, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2010. The legislation reflects the Akaka-Van Hollen compromise and strengthens whistleblower protections for federal employees. H.R. 1507 was introduced by Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Congressman Todd Platts (R-PA) and passed in the House last year. However, it failed to pass the Senate in its original form. Since then Senator Akaka has been working on S. 372 and a compromise between the two bills was ultimately forged.

"I applaud the Senate for passing legislation to promote government accountability, and I congratulate Senator Akaka and his colleagues who worked so hard on this compromise. Whistleblowers that help put a stop to waste, fraud, and abuse in government operations are an important part of our efforts to reduce the deficit. We must ensure that individuals feel free to speak out without fear of retaliation and job loss. By protecting whistleblowers, we protect taxpayers," said Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen. "This compromise enjoys the strong support of President Obama and a broad, non-partisan coalition of government watchdog groups. I will work to see that it has immediate consideration in the House."

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