Employees of NIEHS must disclose calls to house or senate

[jtrockville]

The form asks for details of each telephone call from the offices of members of the House or Senate, including on the information sought. Logging and reporting such calls is standard procedure in the congressional affairs offices of federal departments and agencies. But the forms don't appear to be something given out to "regular" employees, said Sen. Charles Grassley. Their distribution came in the midst of multiple and ongoing investigations by Congress, including by the Iowa Republican's staff. Nor do the forms appear to have been distributed elsewhere within NIH.

"Hopefully, the intent of this form was not to discourage or intimidate NIEHS employees from talking to Congress; but I must admit, the timing is curious," Grassley wrote Zerhouni in a letter, sent late Monday, seeking details of the circumstances of the form's distribution. It is illegal to deny or interfere with a federal employee's right to provide information to Congress.

The NIH encourages staff to "fully cooperate" with congressional inquiries and is committed to upholding federal whistle-blower protection, spokesman Don Ralbovsky said.

"Nonetheless, we take these questions seriously and are reviewing the matter," Ralbovsky said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_go_co/nih_whistleblowers

Seems rather chilling to me.

[annabanana]

1. Like the article said..

The timing of the distribution of the forms raises questions. It does, on the surface, appear that the managers were trying to find out who is out there telling Congress the truth...

(What a pass we've come to!)

[jtrockville]

2. Do you know if there's a pending NIEHS scandal?

I'm not aware of any. But it makes me wonder why NIEHS employees were targeted.

[PDJane]

3. Chilling and disturbing, franklly...........

This is yet one step closer to fascism.

[jtrockville]

4. The federal government is a huge employer.

If all federal employees were required to do this, I think it would be end of dissent as we know it.