Government Must Keep Long-Held Promise to Support Whistleblowers

When a decorated war hero and Army hostage recovery specialist speaks out about flawed government policies that impede our ability to rescue Americans held captive by terrorists, you’d think the government would take note.

You might think that the Pentagon and FBI would seek the expert’s advice on how to better coordinate the recovery of military and civilian hostages. You may even expect the government to welcome suggestions by its own employees to eliminate self-imposed road blocks, especially if it means bringing home Americans held against their wills.

But you’d be wrong.

Instead, when Lt. Col. Jason Amerine, a member of a Pentagon team tasked with bringing home hostages, discussed the bureaucratic rat’s nest with Congress that stalled the recovery of civilians, he was promptly removed from his post and stripped of his security clearance while the Army launched a criminal investigation into his disclosure to lawmakers, claiming he may have shared classified information.

Unfortunately, Amerine’s story is not unique. Government employees frequently face retaliation for pointing out fraud, waste, misconduct, or even for suggesting reforms to improve government operations. These whistleblowers have firsthand knowledge of problems in government, and often, they are part of a limited group of people who can bring them to light.

That’s why it is so important that we encourage whistleblowers to come forward, because if they don’t, the problems are allowed to fester. A government of the people may never reach its full potential to work for the people.

Our founders understood this. When they set out to create a government accountable to the people, they took steps to prevent overreach and expansion through a system of checks and balances between the three branches. But they also wanted to empower government employees to be the American people’s eyes and ears in government, and to raise the alarm if they encountered wrongdoing or opportunities for improvement. So on July 30, 1778, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution empowering government whistleblowers. It said that government whistleblowing was not only encouraged; it was a duty for Americans.

As we mark the 238th anniversary of this resolution, similar policies are on the books protecting whistleblowers, yet they still face blowback for telling the truth. And when they are punished, other would-be whistleblowers are discouraged. The flaws they sought to expose are shielded and the American people suffer a lost opportunity for a better government.

We need to do more to protect, encourage and empower government employees like Lt. Col. Amerine, who put their reputation and paycheck on the line for the good of our country.

The Senate recently adopted a resolution marking July 30 as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day. The resolution commemorates the anniversary of our nation’s earliest whistleblower law. It also encourages all federal agencies to acknowledge the patriotic employees who shed light on flaws within government and remind them of their legal rights as whistleblowers. The resolution was offered by the bipartisan Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, which I established last year with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to help lawmakers better respond to disclosures made by government employees.

As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’ve held hearings to expose the challenges government whistleblowers face from within their own agencies, and I have offered legislation to clarify and improve whistleblower policies in various government agencies.

More still can be done. By publicly honoring whistleblowers for their service, our president can encourage more disclosures. In fact, I’ve urged every president since Ronald Reagan to hold a Rose Garden ceremony honoring these patriotic Americans. By strictly following whistleblower protections and investigating instances of retaliation, agency officials can send a strong message that mistreatment of whistleblowers will not be tolerated.

Ultimately, the actions against Lt. Col. Amerine were dropped and his security clearance was reinstated, and he was awarded the Legion of Merit for his service, but only after a team of whistleblower advocates went to bat for him. And thanks to his disclosure, legislation has been offered to overhaul the government’s hostage recovery policies.

Our government is here to serve the people, and when it falls short, the people ought to know. Often, the only way failures come to light is through these brave whistleblowers who just want to make government better, more efficient and more accountable. Their actions should be praised, not punished. It’s time we keep the promise made by our founders 238 years ago to support our whistleblowers.

Chuck Grassley is the senior senator from Iowa and founder of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus