The US Senate is once again poised to pass new legislation that has nothing to do with extending tax cuts, despite Republican promises to block any such legislation until the tax cuts are settled. Earlier this week the Senate passed a bill ammending the FTC’s “red flag” rule, much to the delight of the ABA. The Senate is now expected to pass a new whistle blower law in the wake of the recent Wikileaks dump of classified diplomatic cables into the media.
The new law, which is expected to pass the Senate and move on to the House within the week, would give federal employees with access to sensitive or classified information much broader protections if they bring up evidence of corruption, mismanagement or waste to their superiors. The goal, say supporters of the bill, is to give employees a legal means of raising concerns over misdoings in hopes of avoiding another Wikileaks type problem.
President Obama has said he will sign the bill once it is passed.