Legislation designed to protect government employees who disclose wrongdoing was approved unanimously by a Senate committee Thursday. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said the measure makes it easier for whistleblowers to win a reprisal case and guarantees them the right to a hearing. The bill ``sends a strong message to federal employees that they will not be punished for disclosing government fraud, waste and abuse,'' Levin said. Thursday's approval by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee clears the way for consideration of the bill by the full Senate. Under the bill, the Office of the Special Counsel, an independent federal agency, would have responsibility for protecting employees who disclose wrongdoing. ``Recent statistics show that 70 percent of federal employees claiming knowledge of waste, fraud and abuse fail to report it,'' Levin said. ``These statistics are proof that the current system has failed to convince employees that they will be rewarded instead of punished if they disclose government wrongdoing.''