Hawkeye Reporter

Senator Chuck Grassley has introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding protections for whistleblowers working as federal contractors. According to Grassley, there are approximately two million federal contractors, a group that outnumbers civilian employees in the federal workforce. The proposed Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act seeks to address gaps in current law that leave these workers vulnerable if they report misconduct in federal agencies.

Grassley is collaborating with Senator Gary Peters of Michigan on this initiative. "As a longtime champion for whistleblowers, I’m pushing to close this loophole with Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan. Our Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act is another step we can take to empower the millions of contractors who work for federal agencies to be the eyes and ears on behalf of the taxpayer. Whistleblowers provide a crucial layer of protection for the American public to ferret out fraud and mismanagement, from tax evasion, to securities law violations and patient safety. As a co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, I’m constantly on the lookout for ways to support and encourage people to come forward with credible information to root out wrongdoing and help ensure the government works on behalf of the American people, not the other way around. Whistleblowers put their jobs and reputations on the line to tell the truth."

In addition, Grassley recently introduced legislation focused on ensuring whistleblower protections keep pace with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). He stated that disclosures by whistleblowers are important in holding the AI industry accountable regarding national security, public health, privacy, and safety concerns. "Earlier this year, I introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure whistleblower protections keep pace with the fast-growing Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry. The rapid growth in AI would benefit from disclosures of wrongdoing brought forward by whistleblowers to hold the industry accountable and protect national security, public health, privacy and public safety. Employees working within the AI sector deserve whistleblower protections that would empower those helping to develop this new frontier of technology to report wrongdoing. AI has the potential to reshape daily life, our economy and the geopolitical landscape. My Artificial Intelligence Whistleblower Protection Act would provide explicit whistleblower protections for those developing and deploying AI across the economy. To date AI companies have fostered a chilling effect on current and former employees looking to make whistleblower disclosures to the federal government, including Congress. My bipartisan legislation strengthens federal laws to shield the communications of current and former employees who make disclosures. It also would provide relief for AI whistleblowers who suffer retaliation, including reinstatement, back pay and compensation for damages."

Grassley's involvement with whistleblower issues dates back nearly five decades when he worked on oversight related to defense contractor fraud at the Pentagon—a process initiated by civilian employee disclosures such as those made by Chuck Spinney in 1983 regarding financial discrepancies within military budgets.

"For nearly five decades, I’ve led efforts on Capitol Hill to protect those who come forward to tell the truth," Grassley said. He recounted his early experience: "My oversight work digging under the hood of the Pentagon’s financial mess was prompted by civilian employees who blew the whistle on defense contractor fraud. That includes a staff analyst at the Department of Defense named Chuck Spinney who graced the cover of Time magazine in 1983 for blowing the whistle on billions of dollars of wasteful spending at the Pentagon and the practice of keeping two sets of books."

He continued: "He exposed the $750 billion dollar mismatch between the Pentagon’s Five Year Defense Program (FYDP) and budget. The bureaucrats were trying to squeeze ten pounds of manure into a five pound bag and got caught."

Grassley emphasized his ongoing commitment: "I’ve been doggedly working to tighten the Pentagon’s fiscal leash ever since. Whistleblowers from across the federal bureaucracy who step forward to 'commit the truth' – like Chuck Spinney and Ernie Fitzgerald – help hold government accountable to the American people."

Since his first term in office, Grassley says he has kept his door open as part of congressional oversight work involving whistleblowers. His advocacy led him in 1986 to author amendments strengthening what became known as qui tam provisions under the False Claims Act—provisions credited with helping recover more than $78 billion over four decades by deterring fraud against taxpayers.

"Since my first term in the Senate," he said,"my door is open to whistleblowers as part of my congressional oversight work." Grassley also mentioned efforts last year urging all 74 federal inspectors general to bolster their own policies protecting those reporting wrongdoing.

Additionally,"I also recently wrote to President Trump urging that he protect whistleblowers while cutting federal waste,fraud,and abuse.Simply put,the work of whistleblowers is invaluable to American society.They are heroes among us who identify violations of law,gross mismanagement,negligence,and threats to public health and safety."

Grassley noted his annual request since President Reagan's administration calling upon each president to recognize National Whistleblower Day—observed July 30—with an official ceremony as recognition both for past service by individuals disclosing government misconduct,and as deterrence against future retaliation.

"Every year since the Reagan administration,I’ve called upon the president to hold a Rose Garden ceremony on Whistleblower Appreciation Day.Our nation owes these patriots a debt of gratitude.It also would send a clear message that retaliation for telling the truth will not be tolerated."

National Whistleblower Day is July 30.