{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-welcomes-final-passage-reforms-limiting-paid-administrative-leave", "Grassley Welcomes Final Passage of Reforms Limiting Paid Administrative Leave", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Charles Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. Chuck Grassley is the co-author of legislation that would reduce the excessive use of paid leave by federal agencies. \u00a0Grassley developed the legislation after an in-depth investigation finding that agencies sometimes put employees on paid leave for years, either to avoid making tough management decisions or to sideline whistleblowers. \u00a0The legislation, passed out of committee in February, is part of the National Defense Authorization Act conference report that the Senate passed today. \u00a0The measure is now on its way to the President for consideration. \u00a0Grassley made the following comment.  \u00a0  \u201cThis is a red letter day for everybody who cares about good government. \u00a0Too often, managers put employees on paid administrative leave either out of convenience to them or as punishment for those who blow the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse. \u00a0There are many examples, including Brandon Coleman, the whistleblower at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Phoenix who was sidelined but ultimately vindicated for trying to save veterans\u2019 lives. \u00a0 Taxpayers are shortchanged when valuable employees are sidelined or problematic employees are paid to stay home instead of being fired. \u00a0The reforms put strict limits on administrative leave. \u00a0They make clear when other forms of paid leave are allowable and when employees should be on the job instead. \u00a0Paid leave shouldn\u2019t be a crutch for management to avoid making tough personnel decisions or a club for wrongdoers to use against whistleblowers. \u00a0 I hope the reforms will become law as soon as possible, and I look forward to overseeing their implementation.\u201d-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-welcomes-final-passage-reforms-limiting-paid-administrative-leave"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7531209848821163, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}