The first national Washington Whistleblower Week (May 14-21) highlighted the importance of whistleblowers in our country and urged the Senate to pass new protections for whistleblowers. The week of events included participation by hundreds of whistleblowers and dozens of public interest organizations.

The highlight of the week was a series of panels, held by non-governmental groups in a Senate office building, addressing congressional oversight and legislative efforts to protect whistleblowers. The panel discussions raised topics such as political pressure to influence scientific research, oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the performance of the Office of Special Counsel, which is responsible for reviewing whistleblower claims and enforcing the existing protections. The focus on the Senate was an attempt to build on the momentum of the House's March 14 vote of 331-94 to pass the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2007 (H.R. 985). Though President Bush threatened to veto the legislation shortly before it passed, the vote appears to indicate enough support to override a veto.

The focus on the Senate appeared to pay off. Whistleblower protections moved forward in the Senate following the Washington Whistleblower Week event. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved by voice vote an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2008 (S. 567) offered by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to enhance whistleblower protections for employees of Department of Defense contractors.

The amendment, if signed into law, will allow contract employees to pursue jury trials in federal court if the Secretary of Defense fails to issue a timely administrative ruling to any allegations of reprisals brought to the Inspector General. Contract employees of other agencies such as the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have already had these protections. The whistleblower legislation passed in the House, H.R. 985, includes similar protections for contractor employees.