III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 298 

Designating July 30, 2023, as ‘‘National Whistleblower Appreciation Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 13, 2023 

Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. LANKFORD, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. 

COLLINS, Mr. PETERS, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. CARPER, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. BOOZMAN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. MORAN, Ms. DUCKWORTH, 

Mr. WICKER, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. ERNST, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. 

FISCHER, Mrs. BLACKBURN, and Mr. WARNOCK) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating July 30, 2023, 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; 

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

support for whistleblowers, the members of the Continental Congress unanimously passed the first whistleVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:23 Jul 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR298.ATS SR298

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•SRES 298 ATS 

blower 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— 

2 (1) designates July 30, 2023, as ‘‘National 

3 Whistleblower Appreciation Day’’; and 


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•SRES 298 ATS 

1 (2) ensures that the Federal Government imple2 ments the intent of the Founding Fathers, as re3 flected in the legislation passed on July 30, 1778 

4 (relating to whistleblowers), by encouraging each ex5 ecutive agency to recognize National Whistleblower 

6 Appreciation Day by— 

7 (A) informing employees, contractors work8 ing on behalf of the taxpayers of the United 

9 States, and members of the public about the 

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

11 the whistle’’ to the appropriate authority by 

12 honest and good faith reporting of misconduct, 

13 fraud, misdemeanors, or other crimes; and 

14 (B) acknowledging the contributions of 

15 whistleblowers to combating waste, fraud, 

16 abuse, and violations of laws and regulations of 

17 the United States. 

Æ 


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