Even though most lawmakers are back in their districts for the month before the election, some business is quietly being conducted here in Washington.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed three bills by what’s called unanimous consent, meaning there was no vote but nobody objected. One of those bills was S. 743, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012, authored by Hawaii’s own Daniel Akaka.

Here’s a statement from Akaka’s office this week:

Protecting whistleblowers is essential for effective, accountable government. Reforming whistleblower protections has been a priority of mine for years. Federal employees and the American people must feel confident that those with the courage to come forward to disclose wrongdoing will be protected.

— Michael Levine