Des Moines Sun

In a recent discussion on National Whistleblower Day, Senator Chuck Grassley highlighted his ongoing efforts to enhance protections for whistleblowers. Grassley emphasized the importance of federal contractors in the workforce and the need for legislative measures to protect them from retaliation when reporting issues like waste, fraud, and abuse within federal agencies.

"In July I introduced bipartisan legislation to address gaps in existing federal law that leave millions of people who work as federal contractors vulnerable to reprisal if they report waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies," said Grassley. He is working alongside Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan on the Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act, aiming to empower contractors to act as watchdogs for taxpayers.

Grassley also discussed his initiative to ensure whistleblower protections evolve with the rapidly 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," he stated. His proposed Artificial Intelligence Whistleblower Protection Act seeks to provide explicit protections for those involved in AI development and deployment.

Reflecting on his long-standing advocacy for whistleblowers, Grassley recounted his early efforts sparked by civilian employees exposing defense contractor fraud at the Pentagon. "For nearly five decades, I’ve led efforts on Capitol Hill to protect those who come forward to tell the truth," he remarked.

Grassley's commitment extends beyond legislation; he has consistently advocated for recognizing whistleblowers' contributions at a national level. "Every year since the Reagan administration, I’ve called upon the president to hold a Rose Garden ceremony on Whistleblower Appreciation Day," he added.

National Whistleblower Day is observed on July 30.