Ranking member of subcommittee for Opening Statement. Thank you, there chairman. And i know mr. Meadows will be here shortly. Federal employees who blow the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse are in the front lines in the effort to ensure that our government functions efficiently and effectively. This committee has a long history of strong bipartisan support for those whistleblowers and i want to thank the chairman, mr. Meadows, for holding todays hearing. Whistleblower protection is rooted in Civil Service protections. Due process and meritbased hiring and promotion free of discrimination, retaliation and political influence form the bedrock of the very whistleblower protections we are concerned about and have been for a long time on this commit even subcommittee. Five years ago, the bipartisan whistleblower protection enhancement act of 2012 significantly strengthened the rights of federal employees who disclose waste, fraud and abuse. This legislation marks substantial progress but a