May 10, 2007

When courageous people risk their careers to bring about a more honest and accountable government, they should be protected. 

In 2004, Dr. David Graham blew the whistle on the government's inability to protect the public from dangerous drugs.  He testified before the U.S. Senate about Vioxx, which caused between 88,000 and 139,000 heart attacks in his 5-year study. Graham's supervisors tried to suppress the study and muzzle the truth.  While the FDA tried to discredit him, Merck pulled Vioxx off the market.

Next week, more than 40 public interest groups and hundreds of whistleblowers will gather for an unprecedented event to highlight the need to strengthen whistleblower protections.

If you will be near Washington, D.C. next week or know someone who will, please join us for "Washington Whistleblower Week."  Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook is the keynote speaker for the kickoff event.  Learn more and get the details here.

The week's events could not be timelier. The "Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 1007" (H.R. 985) just passed the U.S. House in a 331 to 94 landslide and would better protect federal government contractors and federal employees who work in national security and scientific areas. 

Your help is needed to make this bill law.  It has yet to be debated by the Senate and faces a possible veto from President Bush.  Take action by telling your senators to pass strong whistleblower protections like those passed in the House.

Whistleblowers are true heroes. They stand up to the tyranny of entrenched interests and expose fraud and abuse, often at a terrible personal cost. Please take this chance now to stand up for them.

Thank you,

Daniel De Bonis

Online Organizer
Public Citizen's Congress Watch
action@citizen.org