Grassley, Chaffetz Blast HHS Memo Instructing Employees To Disclose When They Communicate With Congress
Internal memo will expose whistleblowers to retaliation and is potentially illegal and unconstitutional
WASHINGTON –
After obtaining an internal memo sent from the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) instructing employees to inform the agency before communicating
independently with Congress, congressional leaders sent a letter to Secretary
Tom Price criticizing
the memo as potentially
illegal and unconstitutional.
The letter, sent by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck
Grassley (R-IA) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman
Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), reiterates the need for whistleblower protections and
asks the Secretary to issue guidance clarifying that employees have the right
to communicate "directly and independently with Congress."
The letter states:
"The attached memorandum contains no exception whatsoever for
lawful, protected communications with Congress. In its current form, employees
are likely to interpret it as a prohibition, and will not necessarily
understand their rights."
"These provisions are significant because they ensure that
attention can be brought to problems in the Executive Branch that need to be
fixed. Protecting whistleblowers who courageously speak out is not a
partisan issue - it is
critical to the functioning of our government."
"In order to correct this potential violation of federal law,
we request that as soon as possible you issue specific written guidance to all
agency employees making them aware of their right to communicate directly and
independently with Congress. Such guidance should inform employees of the
whistleblower protections that apply, and make clear that the agency will not
retaliate against any employee who chooses to exercise these rights. Once you
have issued this guidance, please provide the Committees with a copy."
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