III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 236 

Designating July 30, 2015, as ‘‘National Whistleblower Appreciation Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 30, 2015 

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

KIRK, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. CARPER, and Mrs. MCCASKILL) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating July 30, 2015, 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 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 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 enacted the first whistleblower legislation in the United States that read: ‘‘Resolved, That it is the duty of all persons in the service 


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•SRES 236 ATS 

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, D.C., 1904-37), 11:732); 

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

authorities; 

Whereas, when providing proper authorities with lawful disclosures, whistleblowers save taxpayers in 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; 

Whereas whistleblowing is generally defined as the lawful disclosure of information reasonably believed to evidence a 

violation of law, rule, or regulation, or gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or 

a danger to public health or safety—and is in contrast 

to the unlawful disclosure of classified information that 

threatens the national security of the United States and 

that violates criminal law; and 

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

Constitution, 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 


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•SRES 236 ATS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates July 30, 2015, as ‘‘National 

3 Whistleblower Appreciation Day’’; and 

4 (2) ensures that the Federal Government imple5 ments the intent of the Founding Fathers, as re6 flected in the legislation enacted on July 30, 1778, 

7 by encouraging each executive agency to recognize 

8 National Whistleblower Appreciation Day by— 

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

11 members of the public about the legal rights of 

12 citizens of the United States to ‘‘blow the whis13 tle’’ by honest and good faith reporting of mis14 conduct, fraud, misdemeanors, or other crimes 

15 to the appropriate authorities; and 

16 (B) acknowledging the contributions of 

17 whistleblowers to combating waste, fraud, 

18 abuse, and violations of laws and regulations in 

19 the United States. 

Æ 


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