WASHINGTON DC (September 26, 2019) – Senator Charles "Chuck" Grassley (R-IA) released the following statement on the confirmation of Eugene Scalia to be the next Secretary of Labor.
“It’s the responsibility of Congress to confirm qualified, service-minded men and women to lead our federal agencies. The decisions they make impact millions of Americans’ lives in many different ways.
“Something I’m particularly focused on is rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. Administration officials play a critical role in that effort. I raised concerns earlier this month about Mr. Scalia’s commitment to whistleblowers and oversight. After a productive, in-person conversation with him, and an exchange of letters, I feel confident in his ability to lead the Department of Labor with integrity and a service-oriented mindset. His confirmation today is well-deserved and I look forward to working with him.”
On September 17, 2019, Sen Grassley sent a letter to then-Secretary of Labor nominee Eugene Scalia seeking assurance that if confirmed, he would enforce whistleblower-protections to the fullest extent of the law. Sen Grassley received a full response from Mr Scalia, as well as met with him personally to discuss his nomination and Sen Grassley’s concerns.
Sen Grassley is a longtime advocate for whistleblowers. He is co-chairman and co-founder of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the need for adequate protections against retaliation for private-sector and government employees who call attention to wrongdoing. The caucus works to foster bipartisan-discussion on legislative issues affecting the treatment of whistleblowers and serves as a clearinghouse for current information on whistleblower developments of interest to the Senate.
