While a number of issues have split American voters across party lines, support for strengthened whistleblower protection laws remains a priority for all voters. Members of Congress must take note of this rare consensus and pass laws that bolster whistleblower protections.
In 2020, WNN commissioned a Marist poll surveying likely voters across America on their stance on whistleblower issues. The poll found overwhelming support for stronger whistleblower protection laws. According to the poll, 86% of likely voters believe there should be stronger whistleblower protections for federal employees. And 82% believe strengthening corporate whistleblower laws should be a priority of Congress. Furthermore, only 3% of likely voters said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supports strengthening whistleblower laws.
This overwhelming support for stronger whistleblower laws stays true across party lines. 94% of Democrats, 78% of Republicans, and 88% of Independents support stronger federal employee whistleblower laws, according to the Marist poll. The poll also found that 88% of Democrats, 74% of Republicans, and 82% of Independents believe Congress should prioritize strengthening corporate whistleblower laws.
The support for stronger whistleblower laws among the American public is clearly overwhelming. Members of Congress in both chambers and regardless of the political party must listen to the will of the people and prioritize passing legislation which bolsters America’s whistleblower protection laws.
In regard to strengthening corporate whistleblower protections, there are pieces of bipartisan legislation currently pending in Congress that whistleblower advocates widely support. Bills in the Senate and House would fix major loopholes in the legislation that created the anti-money laundering (AML) Whistleblower Program. A bill introduced by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) offers a number of common sense reforms to the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Whistleblower Program. Meanwhile, the Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act, which passed the House in September, would strengthen whistleblower protections for federal employees, including granting them access to federal court jury trials.
Polling reveals the overwhelming support the American public has for strengthening whistleblower protections. The National Whistleblower Center has issued action alerts for these bills. These alerts allow individuals to write Members of Congress directly to express their support for strong whistleblower protection laws.