Federal whistleblower protection provisions apparently out of the stimulus bill - this is not good!

[Impedimentus]

Apparently provisions in the economic stimulus bill that provide whistleblower protections for federal employees have be deleted from the bill, but whistleblower protection for state employees is still in. This is not good. The "excuse" is that federal employees might divulge confidential information in their complaints - sure.

I heard about this on NPR this AM. Also, the skinny of the package released by Nancy Polosi's office mentioned protection for state employees but not feds. The career feds are in the best position for identify waste, fraud and abuse. The big financial institutions will love this - they may be able to claim almost anything as confidential. This is not a national security issue.

[scheming daemons]

1. What is "stimulative" about that provision?

If it isn't directly related to economic stimulus, it shouldn't have been in there in the first place.


It is worthwhile... and it should be in another bill. But it shouldn't be part of a "stimulus" bill.

[Impedimentus]

2. Right, transparency and oversight have nothing to do ...

with the stimulus bill. Fraud, waste, and abuse have nothing to do with the stimulus bill. Protecting whistleblowers that are state employees is fine. But let's delay, and delay and delay on real oversight.

Sorry, I just didn't realize how well the oversight was on the last stimulus package. While people who might blow the whistle move on, or retire, or get run over by garbage trucks, that OK. Let's keep delaying - because oversight and transparency, identifying fraud, have nothing to do with how hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are spent.

[BalancedGoat]

3. Edit: Nevermind

Edit: I thought I was reading the bill as it was passed in the House, but I was wrong. No wonder why I couldn't find the provision they mentioned. I agree with you, expanded whistle-blower protections belong in their own bill, not hidden somewhere in this monstrosity.