III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 194 

Designating July 30, 2019, as ‘‘National Whistleblower Appreciation Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 8, 2019 

Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. TILLIS, Ms. 

BALDWIN, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. PETERS, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. CARPER, Ms. 

ERNST, Mr. JOHNSON, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. ENZI, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. COLLINS, and Ms. WARREN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

JULY 23, 2019 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating July 30, 2019, as ‘‘National Whistleblower 

Appreciation Day’’. 

Whereas, in 1777, before the passage of the Bill of Rights, 

10 sailors and Marines blew the whistle on fraud and 

misconduct that was harmful to the United States; 

Whereas the Founding Fathers unanimously supported the 

whistleblowers in words and deeds, including by releasing 

government records and providing monetary assistance 

for the reasonable legal expenses necessary to prevent retaliation against the whistleblowers; 


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SRES 194 ATS 

Whereas, on July 30, 1778, in demonstration of their full 

support for whistleblowers, the members of the Continental Congress unanimously passed the first whistleblower legislation in the United States that read: ‘‘Resolved, That it is the duty of all persons in the service 

of the United States, as well as all other the inhabitants 

thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or 

other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the 

service of these states, which may come to their knowledge’’ (legislation of July 30, 1778, reprinted in Journals 

of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789, ed. Worthington C. Ford et al. (Washington, DC, 1904–37), 

11:732); 

Whereas whistleblowers risk their careers, jobs, and reputations by reporting waste, fraud, and abuse to the proper 

authorities; 

Whereas, in providing the proper authorities with lawful disclosures, whistleblowers save the taxpayers of the United 

States billions of dollars each year and serve the public 

interest by ensuring that the United States remains an 

ethical and safe place; and 

Whereas it is the public policy of the United States to encourage, in accordance with Federal law (including the 

Constitution of the United States, rules, and regulations) 

and consistent with the protection of classified information (including sources and methods of detection of classified information), honest and good faith reporting of 

misconduct, fraud, misdemeanors, and other crimes to 

the appropriate authority at the earliest time possible: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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SRES 194 ATS 

1 (1) designates July 30, 2019, as ‘‘National 

2 Whistleblower Appreciation Day’’; and 

3 (2) ensures that the Federal Government imple4 ments the intent of the Founding Fathers, as re5 flected in the legislation passed on July 30, 1778 

6 (relating to whistleblowers), by encouraging each ex7 ecutive agency to recognize National Whistleblower 

8 Appreciation Day by— 

9 (A) informing employees, contractors work10 ing on behalf of the taxpayers of the United 

11 States, and members of the public about the 

12 legal right of a United States citizen to ‘‘blow 

13 the whistle’’ to the appropriate authority by 

14 honest and good faith reporting of misconduct, 

15 fraud, misdemeanors, or other crimes; and 

16 (B) acknowledging the contributions of 

17 whistleblowers to combating waste, fraud, 

18 abuse, and violations of laws and regulations of 

19 the United States. 

Æ 


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