PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF S. 585, DR. CHRIS KIRKPATRICK WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT OF 2017; PROVIDING FOR PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 16, 2017, THROUGH OCTOBER 20, 2017; AND...
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-10-11

I am pleased to bring this rule forward on behalf of the Rules Committee. prgtoken Yesterday, the Rules Committee heard testimony from our colleagues, Congressman Paul Mitchell, Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings, and Congresswoman Ann Kuster. prgtoken This rule provides for the consideration of S. 585, the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act. The rule provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and provides for a motion to recommit. prgtoken S. 585 was authored by Senator Johnson in the Senate, and the House companion was introduced by my friend, Congressman Sean Duffy. I want to thank my colleagues from Wisconsin for their leadership on this legislation. prgtoken , this bill addresses a problem that is, unfortunately, far too common. When Federal employees blow the whistle on questionable practices, they face risk of retaliation and intimidation from their own employers, even though the current Federal law is supposed to protect them. In fact, the underlying legislation provided for by this rule is named after an individual who ultimately took his own life after he became the victim of retaliation related to his whistleblowing. prgtoken Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick was a Department of Veterans Affairs doctor who raised concerns that the VA might be overmedicating patients. A later VA investigation found that Dr. Kirkpatrick's concerns were warranted, but it was too late. Dr. Kirkpatrick had already suffered retribution from within the VA and was eventually dismissed from the agency. On the day of his termination, Dr. Kirkpatrick took his own life. prgtoken Dr. Kirkpatrick's story is a tragedy, one that none of us ever wants to see repeated. prgtoken The Department of Veterans Affairs has become a de facto poster child for hostility toward whistleblowers. In fact, according to the Office of Special Counsel--the agency tasked with investigation and redressing whistleblower retaliation--the OSC has seen a sharp increase in the number of whistleblower cases from VA employees. prgtoken OSC Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner went on to say that: `` . . . it is clear that the workplace culture in many VA facilities is hostile to whistleblowers and actively discourages them from coming forward with what is often critical information.'' prgtoken This disturbing trend may be most visible at the VA, but the problem of backlash against whistleblowers persists across the Federal Government. prgtoken Let me make something clear. There are good actors and bad actors within each agency. There are good actors who shine light on the legitimate concerns in order to help their colleagues and the American people. There are also good actors who listen to those concerns and address them with integrity, and treat whistleblowers with respect. prgtoken Unfortunately, there are also bad act