Davis Lauds Quick Action on Two Reform Bills
Executive Branch Reform Act and Whistleblower Protection Act Both Designed to Increase Government Transparency

February 14, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, expressed hope that two reform measures he helped push in the last Congress will meet better fates this year.

"We need to do what we can in Congress to restore trust in how the public's business is conducted," said Davis at a full committee meeting on Wednesday at which the bills were approved. "These proposals improve transparency, and there is no better way to achieve this goal than to improve transparency."

The committee took up two measures - The Executive Branch Reform Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act. The first, which was reported out of the committee by a 32-0 vote last April, would require executive-branch officials to disclose any contacts involving the discussion of pending agency business.

"This legislation attempts to strike that fine balance between reasonable and focused rules of ethical behavior and overly broad restrictions and prohibitions that hamstring agency officials and prevent them from exercising the discretion needed to perform their jobs."

The second, which was reported out by a 34-1 vote last year, would guarantee federal employees the right to a jury trial in federal district court of the Merit Systems Protection Board does not take action a claim within 180 days. It also would strengthen recourse for whistleblowers victimized by retaliatory actions in certain national security agencies.