ProPublica, which produces some of the finest journalism on the web, has a report out that specifies which federal laws Congress ignores. In other words, those laws that apply to the private sector but don’t apply to the legislative branch’s approximately 30,000 employees.
The list includes: Whistleblower Protections; Subpoenas for Health and Safety Probes; Keeping Workplace Records; Prosecution for Retaliating Against Employees; Posting Notices of Workers’ Rights; and the Freedom of Information Act.
The ProPublica story adds this:
“In addition to sparing itself from complying with measures it has
made mandatory for others, Congress is violating of some of the laws
that do apply to it, according to a recent report
from the Office of Compliance. (The pint-sized agency, created by
Congress in 1995, is responsible for enforcing a number of
workplace-rights laws in the legislative branch.) The sidewalks
surrounding the three House office buildings, the report noted, don’t comply
with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Neither do the restrooms in
the House and Senate office buildings and the Library of Congress’ James
Madison Building.
“’… People are very loath to burn bridges by filing a complaint or going
to the Office of Compliance,” said the agency’s director. ‘They don’t want to go forward
with bringing a claim, even when it’s covered under the law.’”
