Our Representative, Peter Welch, continues to protect the rights of Vermonters and all Americans.   This morning Welch's efforts to protect whistleblowers from intimidation, harassment, and retaliation makes the front page of Talking Points Memo:  

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) is pushing back against Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-CA) investigation into whether the Obama administration is politicizing Freedom of Information Act requests.

 It's not that Welch opposes the general thrust of Issa's probe. He's just worried about what could turn out to be some pretty serious unintended consequences — squelching interest in filing FOIA requests by revealing the identities of the private citizens making them.

 

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo…

Yesterday, Welch was also among those Representatives who voted against extending the so-called PATRIOT Act.

As reported in the Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON – The House on Tuesday failed to extend the life of three surveillance tools that are key to the nation’s post-Sept. 11 anti-terror law, a slipup for the new Republican leadership that miscalculated the level of opposition.

The House voted 277-148 to keep the three provisions of the USA Patriot Act on the books until Dec. 8. But Republicans brought up the bill under a special expedited procedure requiring a two-thirds majority, and the vote was seven short of reaching that level.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…

And yes, Welch was among those who blocked the externsion.

Good work, Peter. Keep up the good work!