Date: 2015-07-21
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. let me rise today to thank both the chairman and the ranking member of this committee. Mr. CHAFFETZ and Mr. CUMMINGS. for their leadership on a very important issue. which I rise to be part of and with a little history on this issue with the earlier passage of the No FEAR Act so many years ago. I support this legislation which ensures agencies effectively implement their Equal Employment Opportunity. or EEO. programs and that Federal employees are never prevented from disclosing discriminatory or wasteful actions to Congress. the office of special counsel. or inspectors general. How important is that? We have a history of addressing workplace equality. and that is why I sponsored similar legislation with the No FEAR Act. which was first introduced in Congress in 2002. This was previous legislation that had a sense of Congress provision. whereas this particular legislation further strengthens the responsibilities and rights of employees. The No FEAR Act set the precedent for imposing additional duties upon Federal agency employers. intended to reinvigorate their longstanding obligation to provide a work environment free of discrimination and retaliation. On October 2. 2000. the House Science Committee held a hearing dealing with actions at one of our agencies. Dr. Marsha ColemanAdebayo had been in my office repeatedly. I mention her name because of her continued vigilance in speaking about issues dealing with whistleblowers. In actuality. this one involved a $600.000 jury decision against the EPA for race and sex discrimination under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As we all listened in this hearing. it was clear that what we wanted to do was prevent retaliation. which we see in this legislation here today. I am grateful that we now have a roadmap for dealing with individuals who want only the best for our government. I can give some of the names as an example: Mark Felt. the FBI agent known as Deep Throat during the Watergate scandal of the 1970s. Frank Serpico. a New York police officer who confronted his department for the rampant corruption the leadership let take place. Jeffrey Wigand. a tobacco executive who admitted that tobacco companies knew they were putting addictive chemicals into their cigarettes. and. of course. Sherron Watkins. an executive of the Enron Corporation. Of course. these individuals come from different walks of life. but the whole idea is to make sure that we. as Members of Congress. recognize that whistleblower activities or actions are clearly a part of good government. According to the 2014 Federal employee viewpoint survey. only 60 percent of Federal employees agreed that they could "disclose a suspected violation of any law. rule. or regulation without fear of reprisal." I know that your committee. Mr. CHAFFETZ and Mr. CUMMINGS. is really the front line of providing this forum. and I am glad to be able to join you as a member of the Homeland Security Committee and Judiciary Committee to. again. emphasize the importance of safe and discriminationfree workplaces. I am grateful. again. to have had the opportunity firsthand to listen to at least one of our whistleblowers who only wanted to be able to help establish a workplace that was free of discrimination and fear. Again. I want to make mention of Marsha ColemanAdebayo. a dedicated Federal employee who worked so very hard. [From NPR.org. Sept. 6. 2011]