Landsman, Krishnamoorthi Introduce Bill to Stop NDAs from Silencing Whistleblowers
Cincinnati, OH – Today, Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced legislation to prevent federal government employees from being silenced by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) when reporting government wrongdoing.
The No Disrupting Accountability (NDA) Act would prevent federal funds from being used to mandate government-wide NDAs that violate whistleblower protections and hide waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption from Americans.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced its plan to allow federal agencies to require all government employees to sign indefinite, vague NDAs – even if they don’t handle classified information.
In June, Landsman and Krishnamoorthi led a letter to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) demanding answers around the proposal to force all federal employees to sign NDAs.
The No Disrupting Accountability Act is endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE).
Congressman Landsman:
“Government employees should never be silenced from exposing waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption – and federal funds should never be used to allow it. Our bill will make sure taxpayer dollars protect the public interest.”
Congressman Krishnamoorthi:
“Congress has a duty to hold this administration accountable, and that means protecting those who expose wrongdoing. The Trump administration’s new secrecy rule threatens to silence federal workers and conceal waste, fraud, and abuse from the American people. Our legislation would overturn that rule and make clear that no nondisclosure agreement can override federal whistleblower protections. Federal employees must be free to expose wrongdoing without fear of retaliation.”
NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald:
“Federal employees have the right to free speech. The administration’s proposed nondisclosure agreement is an attempt to silence the very people who can tell Congress and the American people what’s happening inside their government. NTEU is proud to endorse the No Disrupting Accountability (NDA) Act. We applaud Representatives Krishnamoorthi and Landsman for standing with federal employees and fighting back against this assault on federal worker's rights.”
AFSCME President Patrick Moran:
“Public service workers are meant to be accountable to the public, but they can’t fulfill that responsibility if they’re forced to sign non-disclosure agreements that intimidate them from sharing information that is entirely legal to share. AFSCME applauds Reps. Landsman and Krishnamoorthi for introducing the No Disrupting Accountability Act, which would block federal funds from being used to silence workers. This legislation is urgently needed to protect the public and public service workers from the bullying and fear this administration is imposing on the federal workforce. Public service workers need the freedom to use their voices to expose corruption and ensure accountability in government.”
NFFE National President Randy Erwin:
"Accountability and transparency are critical to our public services, federal workforce, and democracy as a whole. OPM's proposed rule goes against the idea of protecting whistleblowers who report waste, fraud, and abuse. Federal workers and NFFE-IAM members must be free to speak the truth about matters of public concern. NFFE endorses the No Disrupting Accountability (NDA) Act to prevent OPM from issuing this misguided rule. Thank you to Representatives Landsman and Krishnamoorthi for their leadership on this issue."
Read the bill text here.
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