I haven't designed an internal reporting system that would prevent or materially mitigate the concerns articulated (MechEngr), although the notion of putting a short timeline in place for a reporting and review loop into Congress is (I think) a straw man. Beyond not denying the objections to it raised in the post, it can't be viewed seriously, because of the currently dysfunctional status of the United States Congress, especially the House. It wasn't always this bad but it is now.
If the recent legislation does nothing more than produce the report, and testimony, of the Expert Panel - I mean, those three individuals have pretty impressive backgrounds and qualifications, no? - then it was worth the effort.
I disagree about the confidentiality of a settlement through an NDA. That is a different matter entirely from the failure to release the documents provided to FAA. Neither Salehpour nor his legal counsel have the right to claim protection of Boeing's proprietary information on the company's behalf - if that's even what is in the documents. They have brought his claims to the public arena, and without full disclosure, the scrutiny is incomplete. And failure to release the documents provided to FAA by the law firm cannot be squared with the scope, or specific items, of the request for documents sent by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to Boeing. I have no knowledge, direct, personal, or otherwise, of the existence or absence of any category of documents requested in the letter. But I do read standard written English and it is quite difficult to describe anything Salehpour could have submitted to FAA not also within the scope and items of the Senate Subcommittee request. Perhaps Mr Salehpour has private notes; but Boeing would not have those, so not covered by the Subcommittee request.
I mean, I'm plenty cynical, particularly when it comes to Senatorial grandstanding. But to produce a hearing about what the American people have to know about safety of major aircraft programs but then not produce the full record currently in process within the interagency -- "hard disagree" as they say.