(Alexandria, VA) – “Whistleblower protection is taxpayer protection” –that’s the message headlining an open letter to Congress released this week,which is signed by 15 organizations from the conservative and free marketmovement. The coalition, spearheaded by the 362,000-member National TaxpayersUnion (NTU), calls for passage of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act.The legislation (S. 743) has backing from a bipartisan group of 14 Senators ledby Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
“Whistleblowershave historically made valuable contributions to the cause of overburdenedtaxpayers, from uncovering improper subsidy payments, to identifying abuses ofpower at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), to reporting government agencymalfeasance,” the signatories noted. “Unfortunately, at a time when Americamost urgently needs the best value for every dollar Washington spends, thesevictories for taxpayers are likely to be rarer.” The signatories expressed thisconcern because Congress has adopted protections shielding federalwhistleblowers from retaliation several times in the past, only to have themundone by hostile court rulings.
S. 743 would notonly reaffirm previously enacted provisions, but would also establish newrights such as limited jury trial access and expanded coverage of whistleblowerstatus to national security employees who work within proper channels. Theletter makes the case for passing S. 743 from a limited-government perspectivewhile addressing points raised from some right-of-center lawmakers over theeffect such legislation would have on national security, judicial workloads,and federal human resources procedures.
“Many Members ofthe 112th Congress, especially in the freshman class, have staked theirpolitical reputations upon changing the culture of tax-borrow-and-spend inWashington,” the letter concluded. “This entails not only fiscal disciplinemechanisms to bring reform from without, but also an environment thatencourages reform from within. The credibility of this Congress depends uponits willingness to do both, and strengthening federal whistleblower protectionsought to be an expeditious and non-controversial way of doing so.”
In addition toNTU, groups signing the letter are: the American Policy Center, the Center forFiscal Accountability at Americans for Tax Reform, the Center for Freedom andProsperity, the Center for Individual Freedom, the Council for Citizens AgainstGovernment Waste, Family Research Council Action, the Hispanic Leadership Fund,Let Freedom Ring, the Liberty Coalition, The National Center for Public PolicyResearch, Our Generation, The Rutherford Institute, Take Back Washington, andthe Taxpayers Protection Alliance.
NTU ExecutiveVice President Pete Sepp observed that the highly-successful WashingtonWhistleblower Assembly this week, along with President Obama’s announcement ofa new initiative for whistleblower rights, are further signs that all points ofthe political spectrum may soon be able to reach a consensus on reformlegislation. “Whatever future direction fiscal policy may take, everyone inWashington ought to agree that the law should stand in solidarity with those whostand up for taxpayers,” he said. “That process begins by enacting S. 743.”
The full text of the coalition letter can be found here.
The362,000-member NTU is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working for lowertaxes, smaller government, and economic freedom at all levels.