Johnson Introduces Bipartisan Bills to Protect Whistleblowers, Safeguard U.S. Defense Technology

WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Julie Johnson (TX-32), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Congressman James Moylan (GU-AL), introduced the bipartisan Whistleblowers Aiding National Security Act, which ensures that whistleblowers have a protected pathway within the State Department to report violations of export controls and be rewarded for the risk they undertake to safeguard our national security.

Across the nation, our inventions and innovations provide a competitive edge that our adversaries wish they had. Efforts by foreign actors to obtain U.S. defense systems and sensitive data—from encryption and communication systems to missiles and satellites—pose a serious threat to national security. Export controls are designed to prevent these breaches, but violations continue to occur; without stronger enforcement and awareness, our most advanced defense items, services, and technologies risk falling into the wrong hands, endangering the safety of American forces.

“Foreign adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran are constantly seeking to steal our most sensitive military systems and data, and these transgressions are not just a compliance issue – they are critical to our national security,” said Johnson. “By establishing a whistleblower incentive program that safeguards whistleblowers and rewards their courage, this bipartisan legislation will deter violations, enhance compliance, and ensure that our most critical defense technologies stay in the hands of the United States—not our adversaries. National security depends on vigilance, accountability, and the bravery of those willing to speak up, and this bill delivers all three.”

“China is actively evading U.S. export controls to accelerate its capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. This bipartisan bill strengthens enforcement where audits fail by empowering whistleblowers to expose violations,” said Congressman James Moylan (GU-AL). Closing these gaps is essential to denying the People’s Liberation Army access to sensitive technologies and to safeguarding our allied defense frameworks like AUKUS that depend on strict controls.”

Modeled after various existing programs across our federal agencies, this bill would allow whistleblowers to collect a small portion of the ultimate fine based on the significance, originality, and degree of assistance provided.

In addition to introducing the Whistleblowers Aiding National Security Act, Johnson also introduced the bipartisan Stop Stealing Our Chips Act with Congressman Thomas Kean Jr. (NJ-07), which would set up another whistleblower incentive program for export control violations within the Bureau of Industry and Security in the Department of Commerce. In the Senate, this bill is led by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Mike Rounds (R-SD). 

To read the full text of the Whistleblowers Aiding National Security Act, click here.

Congresswoman Julie Johnson represents Texas’s 32nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving on the Homeland Security Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Administration Committee. Her district includes parts of Collin, Dallas, and Denton Counties.

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