FederalDaily - September 19, 2006
GAO Urges DOD to Tighten Anthrax Response
A new government report urges the Department of Defense (DoD) to more fully coordinate its terrorism
response plans following an anthrax attack scare last year at DoD mail facilities. The March 2005 false
alarm caused the Postal Service to suspend operations at two of its facilities, and more than 1,000
DoD and postal employees were given antibiotics as a precaution, said the Sept. 15 Government Accountability
Office (GAO) report. The report said the Pentagon did not notify or coordinate its actions with the
Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for leading the public health response
to potential biological terrorism attacks. While the Pentagon has pledged to adhere to the National
Response Plan and its interagency coordination requirements, the report said there is no clear evidence
that DoD has changed its ways. Furthermore, DoD also has not ensured—among other things—that
its mail facilities have the required mail security plans, or that they are appropriately using biosafety
cabinets for screening mail within the context of comprehensive screening programs, the report said.
To see GAO report highlights, go to: www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-06-757.
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Group Lobbies for Improved Whistleblower Rights
A whistleblower protection organization continues to lobby lawmakers to adopt a revamped Whistleblower
Protection Act (WPA) that would substantially strengthen the rights of federal employee whistleblowers.
In a letter, the Government Accountability Project (GAP) asked House Armed Services Committee Chairman
Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., to reinforce—rather than weaken—the final federal whistleblower
provisions. GAP said Sept. 15 it worries that the administration may be working behind the scenes to
derail adoption of new whistleblower protections. “Government whistleblowers are America’s
human failsafe against terrorism,” said Tom Devine, GAP legal director. “It’s inexcusable
for the president to trumpet his efforts to strengthen national security on the one hand, while his
office is actively trying to silence government employees on the other.” A revised WPA was approved
by the Senate in June as an amendment to the FY 2007 defense authorization bill, GAP said. The House,
however, did not consider whistleblower provisions when it passed its version of the defense bill,
GAP said. Hunter is considered a key player in the House delegation to a conference committee that
is working to produce a final version of the defense bill, GAP said. To see more, go to: www.whistleblower.org/content/press_detail.cfm?press_id=611&keyword=.
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AFGE Rebukes Passage of Prison Workers Bill
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) rebuked a bipartisan measure adopted by the
House last week which would overhaul the Federal Prison Industries (FPI) prison inmate work program.
The Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act (H.R. 2965), which passed 362-57, would
nullify a federal purchasing requirement that makes it difficult for private industry to compete for
some government contracts. AFGE said on Sept. 15 it would continue its opposition to the bill that
it believes would weaken the FPI prison inmate work program—causing a consequent rise in inmate
unrest. “If this plan is fully implemented, security at our federal prison facilities will be
weakened,” said AFGE Council of Prison Locals 33 President Bryan Lowry. AFGE said it would work
to block the measure in the Senate, where it has found little support. The House passed a similar measure
in 2003 by 350-65, but it fizzled in the Senate. To see more, got to: www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=662.
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