The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) passed the
House of Representatives in late September and the Senate this
week, and is being sent to President Obama for his signature.
This long overdue legislation overturns many loopholes and
provides critically important upgrades to weak, current
protections. Passage of the WPEA plays a significant role in
food safety oversight, as it better protects those charged with
enforcing food safety laws – including U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians and inspectors, as well as Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) employees. Over the past several
years, FIC has heard from countless federal whistleblowers that
desperately want to expose food industry wrongdoing or threats
to public health, but failed to come forward due to a lack of
strong whistleblower protections, which are necessary to
safeguard against retaliation. "America's food just got a lot
safer," said FIC Director Amanda Hitt. "Government workers who
serve as the public's watchdog are now