WASHINGTON, D.C. | October 6, 2021 — Today, President Biden’s Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) nominees, Cathy A. Harris, Raymond Limon, and Tristan Leavitt, were advanced by the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Now, the nominees must be confirmed by the entire Senate.
On September 22nd, Harris, Limon, and Leavitt appeared before the Homeland Security Committee. During the hearing, they responded to questions and affirmed their support for the MSPB’s mission. National Whistleblower Center (NWC), as part of its Ethics Agenda, is asking supporters to take action and urge the Senate to approve these nominees in order to restore the MSPB to its former self.
Siri Nelson, NWC Executive Director, said, “We commend the Senators on the Homeland Security Committee for approving these indispensable nominees and taking the necessary step toward filling the vacancies that have long plagued the MSPB. With a growing backlog at the MSPB and no sitting members since 2019, whistleblowers are in desperate need of safe processes that adjudicate complaints and curb retaliatory actions from employers. Now, it is up to the Senate to ensure the MSPB is back and prepared to protect federal whistleblowers. We call upon all Senators to confirm these nominees.”
The MSPB, the quasi-judicial agency tasked with oversight of federal employee whistleblower complaints and appeals, has not had a quorum in over four years, rendering it ineffectual. As of January 2021, the backlog was over 3,100 cases.
For more information, please contact Nick Younger at nick.younger@whistleblowers.org.
