WASHINGTON, D.C. | July 21, 2025 — The National Whistleblower Center joined anti-corruption organizations in thanking Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) for co-sponsoring the Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025, introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
If passed, the bill will close existing loopholes in whistleblower protection laws that leave federal contractor whistleblowers vulnerable to retaliation after disclosing waste, fraud or abuse in federal agencies.
This latest bill was a renewal and slight revision of a 2008 government contractor whistleblower law, with the letter from supporters explaining, “All accountability laws need periodic maintenance to plug loopholes, bolster weak links and act on lessons learned.”
Even with the necessary adaptations, the heart of this bill remained unchanged: to ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are protected from retaliation when a federal employee orders a reprisal.
Protecting whistleblowers from retaliation this way will allow countless more whistleblowers to come forward and expose corrupt practices that would otherwise remain unknown. Consequently, courts can prosecute reported illicit behavior and reduce “Gross mismanagement of any Department of Defense contract or grant, any gross waste of Department funds, any abuse of authority relating to any Department contract.”
The Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC). It is crucial for the bill to pass the Committee so that it can be voted on the Senate floor. We urge NWC supporters to aid the bill and protect whistleblowers by contacting members of the HSGAC.
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NWC is the leading nonprofit working with whistleblowers worldwide to fight corruption and protect people and the environment. For over 30 years, NWC has won policies to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and reward them for helping deliver criminal and civil penalties against wrongdoers. It is a trusted advocate for whistleblowers and a key player in the fight for government accountability and transparency.
