III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 231 

Designating July 30, 2017, as ‘‘National Whistleblower Appreciation Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 25, 2017 

Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. CARPER, Mr. 

WYDEN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. TILLIS, 

Mrs. ERNST, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. PETERS, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

the Judiciary 

AUGUST 1, 2017 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating July 30, 2017, 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 231 ATS 

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

support for whistleblowers, the members of the Continental Congress unanimously enacted 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 231 ATS 

1 (1) designates July 30, 2017, 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 enacted on July 30, 1778, 

6 by encouraging each executive agency to recognize 

7 National Whistleblower Appreciation Day by— 

8 (A) informing employees, contractors work9 ing on behalf of United States taxpayers, and 

10 members of the public about the legal right of 

11 a United States citizen to ‘‘blow the whistle’’ to 

12 the appropriate authority by honest and good 

13 faith reporting of misconduct, fraud, mis14 demeanors, or other crimes; and 

15 (B) acknowledging the contributions of 

16 whistleblowers to combating waste, fraud, 

17 abuse, and violations of laws and regulations of 

18 the United States. 

Æ 


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