National
Whistleblower Center
Internet: http://www.whistleblowers.org
FOR
MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Stephen M. Kohn (202)342-1980
Aaron Parness (202) 342-1903
FOR IMMEIDATE RELEASE
NATIONAL POLL SHOWS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR NEW
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS
Survey of 1014 “Likely Voters” Demonstrates 79%
Support for “Strong” Whistleblower Protection Law
Washington,
DC. March 1, 2007. A survey conducted of 1014 “likely voters” between February 14-19, 2007 found
overwhelming public support for Congress to “institute a strong whistleblower
law to protect government employees from retribution if they report waste or
corruption.” The poll, conducted by the
firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, found that whistleblower protection was among
the most popular issues for likely voters, with 79% of those surveyed
supporting a strong whistleblower protection act, and 41% of those surveyed
stating that they would be “much more likely” to support a Congress that enacts
such legislation.
The
survey, commissioned by the group “Democracy Corps” was designed, in part, to
test which issues voters wanted Congress to act on. A copy of the poll is linked here at http://www.democracycorps.com/reports/surveys/Democracy_Corps_February_14-19_2007_Survey.pdf .
The whistleblower question is Q. 95, on page 16.
Stephen
M. Kohn, the Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center, issued
the following statement in response to the polling data:
“The
American people know that whistleblowers have saved taxpayers billions of dollars,
that they have risked their careers to expose weakness in the war on terror and
that without “a strong whistleblower law” Congress cannot exercise its
oversight duties. It is time for
Congress, in a bi-partisan manner, to do its duty and enact a comprehensive
national whistleblower protection law.
This is not a Democratic issue.
This is not a Republican issue.
It is a good government issue.
Only crooked politicians benefit when whistleblowers are silenced. It is now time for the public to demand
effective Congressional action.”
The specific question polled was whether the Democratic
controlled Congress should “Institute a
strong whistleblower law to protect government employees from retribution if
they report waste or corruption.”
In response, a total of 79% of likely voters stated that they would be
“much more likely” or more likely to support Congress if such a law was passed.
In order to ensure that Congress acts to protect
whistleblowers, the National Whistleblower Center has initiated a petition
drive calling for the passage of a National Whistleblower Protection Act. The petition is linked at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Whistleblower_Law/
.
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