Tell the Senate: Don't stop now, confirm the MSPB nominees!

On October 6^th, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs voted to advance President Biden’s three nominees for the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Now, these appointees await final Senate approval.

The MSPB is the only administrative agency with jurisdiction to enforce employment rights for federal employee whistleblowers. For four years, the MSPB has not held a quorum, and it has not had a single sitting member in three. As each day without members passes, the backlog of cases grows steadily. Thousands of federal employee whistleblower cases remain in limbo, awaiting news.

Among the MSPB’s purview are the employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A functioning MSPB must ensure EPA employees, like most federal employees, have been educated on their whistleblower rights and do not face retaliation when reporting environmental degradation, regulatory violations, or malfeasance. Our environment cannot afford an EPA without oversight.

So please, take action: send Congress a message and encourage them to confirm these nominees so employees at important environmental agencies like the EPA can continue to make reports and see justice.