U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has been a consistent advocate and champion for whistleblowers throughout his entire tenure, which began in the early 1980s. For example, he was one of the senators who helped initiate and support some of the most important advances in whistleblower law in the three decades since. With the help of cosponsors from both parties, he introduced several important resolutions celebrating National Whistleblower Day for the last four years.
On July 27, Senator Grassley was the keynote speaker at the National Whistleblower Center’s National Whistleblower Day celebration on Capitol Hill in Washington. Grassley effusively thanked and praised whistleblowers for the service they offer to Americans, emphasizing that they “are patriots and heroes,” and that the American people owe them a great debt for their courage to fight for responsible business practices and an accountable government.
As part of his speech, Sen. Grassley also called on his fellow members of Congress to reauthorize the Office of Special Counsel and the Ombudsman programs at the offices of the Inspector General. As part of this call, he urged Congress to improve whistleblower protections for employees of the IRS and FBI especially, including oversight of all matters reported by whistleblowers and how agencies treat those whistleblowers.
A golden age for whistleblowers
There are more protections afforded to whistleblowers right now than at any point in American history. There is, of course, still plenty of room for improvement, but the federal government has made whistleblower protection a priority over the last decade and those protections do not appear to be in danger in the face of a new presidential administration.
For more information on the various protections afforded to whistleblowers, consult a knowledgeable Dallas lawyer with Whistleblower Law for Managers.
