Senator congratulates whistleblowers on their courage to speak out

Continuing Whistle blower Week in Washington, the No FEAR institute met this afternoon and heard remarks from Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) who congratulated whistle blowers and pushed for stronger legislation to protect them.

“The only crime that whistle blowers commit is in telling the truth,” said Grassley. Whistle blowers sacrifice their careers, livelihood and even their status in the community to bring those responsible to justice. Grassley calls for stronger legislation that will protect whistle blowers and their civil rights. It is in the constitution to have the freedom of speech and the right to petition your government, but the current policies are making that difficult and discouraged.

Also at the meeting were witnesses who testified of atrocities done to them. Some spoke out against ethnic cleansing and affirmative action backlash in the Patent and Trademark Office. Other spoke about sham peer reviews, while working in the medical field as well as many different government agencies or law enforcement, which gave reason to put these individual out of work for speaking out against wrongdoings.

Several members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War spoke up about the retaliation they have received by protesting the war in Iraq. Current legislation is weak on military oversight and many veterans who have returned honorably from the war and given honorable discharges have spoken out against the government’s involvement in Iraq and their discharges have been changed from honorable to general and benefits taken away.

All those witnesses who testified as well as Sen. Grassley called for stronger legislation to be passed in order to protect the rights of whistle blowers, like the No FEAR II resolution. That resolution offers stronger wording than the previous No FEAR legislation which was passed five years ago today.

Congresswoman and whistle blowers declare, “Not on our watch.”

As part of Whistle Blower week, the No FEAR institute held a tribunal today led by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Walter Fauntroy. The tribunal met and heard from several different federal government employees, medical doctors, nurses, farmers, military personnel, veterans, whistleblowers and other civil rights activist.

The Whistleblower Week in Washington is set up to promote and encourage laws that protect individuals civil rights of those who report on hazardous, illegal conditions, waste, fraud and abuses of authority in government and government funded positions. At the tribunal today, Jackson Lee and those testifying declared that no more illegal activities or civil rights violations will occur, “not on our watch.”

Several individuals testified about illegal activities in government agencies, lawsuits for crimes they didn’t commit, medical malpractice, and peer review shams in the medical community. One Nurse discussed the use of non-FDA approved drugs on patients in a hospital in Texas. The nurse was fired and her medical license was revoked, and it wasn't until 3 years later when he told an investigative journalist about the illegal activities and the story was published did the government take any action and stop the use of the non approved drugs.

Jackson Lee led the tribunal and stressed the need for future legislation to reduce civil rights violations by companies across the country. The activities this week coincide with he sixth anniversary of the signing of The Notification of Federal Employees Anti-discrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act of 2002, an act that many properly hail as the first civil rights law of the 21st century, said Jackson Lee.

The No FEAR Act requires that Federal agencies be more accountable for violations of anti-discrimination and whistleblower protection laws. According to the March 2008 Government Accountability Office Report, between 2001 and 2003, discrimination and retaliation cases cost the government approximately $656 million dollars in judgment and settlement costs.

Only time will tell

At a meeting today sponsored by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasia Affairs, spoke on the potential actions of the new Medvedev administration.

Dmitri Medvedev took office Wednesday as Russia’s third president. Medvedev officially elected Vladimir Putin as prime minister. Fried discussed the future actions of the United States in reference to the new administration and discussed what changes could occur.

Fried stressed that the United States actions towards the new Administration would remain the same as it has been in the past, and that the U.S. would negotiate with Russia when “interests and principles overlap.”

Concerns were raised about the abuses of the democratic system, the restrictions on the political debate during the campaign season, and the civil liberties and human rights issues that the Russian government has been dealing with, as well as the Russian government’s interactions with Georgia and Ukraine.

When asked whether or not he felt Medvedev will take the country in a new direction or work under the same constraints as Putin, Fried said, “only time will tell.” But he expressed hopes that the new administration would be more supportive of Ukraine and Georgia’s efforts to join NATO and let them determine their own future.

Ron Paul on "The Revolution"

Congressman and Republican presidential contender Ron Paul (R-TX) addressed a crowd at a discussion and signing to promote his new book, The Revolution: A Manifesto, currently a number-one bestseller on Amazon.com. Dr. Paul, who will continue to run for the presidency despite Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) presumed nomination, said the purpose of his book is to “galvanize” the American people and foster enthusiasm about civil liberties and a return to American libertarian principles.


Paul described his main objective as respect for and adherence to the U.S. Constitution, and said that “it’s sad that just obeying the Constitution is a revolutionary idea.” He said he uses the word “revolution” cautiously, and advocates a “nonviolent” one that would restore civil liberties and reduce the influence of the Federal government. He said that Congress and the judicial system “ignore the Constitution” and have allowed the Fourth Amendment to erode over time. After 9/11, Paul said some members of the government “showed cheer” because it represented an opportunity to infringe on civil liberties with measures such as the Patriot Act.

Paul expressed appreciation for young voters, whom he said have grown passionate about preserving the Constitution, and said his supporters have been energized by his “optimism,” which he said means analyzing problems and then seeking solutions. He said the young generation “has to make a decision” about what they want the role of their government to be, and said that he thinks that role is to “preserve liberty, not run our lives, run our economy, and police the world.”

Paul deplored the fact that to oppose war earns the label of a “left-winger,” and said “I don’t think it’s left-wing to say, ‘Why are we fighting a war that was never declared?’” He also said that at one point, his campaign received more donations from military personnel than all other presidential candidates combined. Paul said he thinks “we live in dangerous times,” and that foreign policy occupation will lead to a “crisis” in America. In reference to criticism of former Pres. Bill Clinton as a “nation-builder” during his term in the 1990s as opposed to the current rise in foreign occupation with Pres. Bush’s administration, Paul said that “Americans have very short memories, and Muslims and Arabs never forget anything.”

When asked where he sees the government headed, Paul said he thinks the U.S. is “moving more towards fascism” than lawlessness because of growing governmental intervention in the form of “big corporations,” “secret prisons, and the loss of habeas corpus.” He said he thinks that “the empire will end” because the U.S. cannot sustain its present course and continue to finance its global objectives.

Legality of torture discussed in Judiciary hearing

The Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the House Judiciary Committee met today in a hearing on Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogation Rules. Chairman Jerrold Nalder led the discussion of experts in the field to discuss what is known and what the law says about torture and the Bush Administration's use of torture in Guantanamo Bay in the context of international law.

The Bush Administration's policies regarding interrogation techniques for captured suspected terrorists have ben sanctioned by various secret legal opinions and memoranda, making questionably illegal methods approved by the highest levels of government. These policies have been discussed by the news media and Nalder is making it a Congressional duty to oversee these actions and determine if they are constitutional.

The use of torture by the Bush Administration in Guantanamo Bay has been challenged and greatly discussed in international circles, since it goes against the Geneva Convention and international law.

“Torture is un-American and yet it has been used by this government against those in our custody and control,” Nalder said. “And now we know that these so-called ‘enhanced’ interrogation techniques were approved at the highest levels of government. torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, besides being contrary to American values and traditions, have proven to be an ineffective means to obtaining actionable intelligence.”