WASHINGTON, D.C. | May 9, 2023 – On May 9th 2023, National Whistleblower Center sent a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa thanking him for his call upon President Biden for a Rose Garden ceremony honoring whistleblowers. In addition to praise, NWC asked for Senator Grassley to take his request one step further and join the growing movement calling for President Biden to take executive action and make National Whistleblower Day Permanent. The campaign to make National Whistleblower Day permanent is being led by whistleblowers, namely former FBI Agent Jane Turner.
In the letter, NWC pointed to Senator Grassley’s tremendous record fighting for whistleblowers: “We fully support and echo your request for President Biden to host a Rose Garden ceremony honoring whistleblowers. In order to fulfill the promise of truly honoring whistleblowers and their contributions to our government, however, we believe that the President must go one step further. That is why we are asking for your help urging President Biden to take executive action and make National Whistleblower Day permanent.”
Senator Grassley has spoken at NWC’s National Whistleblower Day celebration for years–his 2020 remarks can be watched here. NWC’s request highlighted the overlap between a Rose Garden ceremony and an Executive Order, writing that such an order “would combine the honor of a Rose Garden ceremony with the teeth of an enforceable mandate.”
NWC additionally pointed to the growth of the movement to Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent. To date, Turner’s group has organized nearly 10,000 letters sent in support to Congressional offices and President Biden. “Making National Whistleblower Day permanent is a crucial step towards changing the culture around blowing the whistle for the better,” said Turner. She believes that whistleblowers are so passionate about this issue because so many of the problems that whistleblowers face stem from the culture of silence and retaliation. Change must start from the top.
NWC Executive Director Siri Nelson is available for comment. For more information, contact NWC at info@whistleblowers.org.
