[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 236 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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 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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates July 30, 2015, as ``National Whistleblower 
        Appreciation Day''; and
            (2) ensures that the Federal Government implements the 
        intent of the Founding Fathers, as reflected in the legislation 
        enacted on July 30, 1778, by encouraging each executive agency 
        to recognize National Whistleblower Appreciation Day by--
                    (A) informing employees, contractors working on 
                behalf of United States taxpayers, and members of the 
                public about the legal rights of citizens of the United 
                States to ``blow the whistle'' by honest and good faith 
                reporting of misconduct, fraud, misdemeanors, or other 
                crimes to the appropriate authorities; and
                    (B) acknowledging the contributions of 
                whistleblowers to combating waste, fraud, abuse, and 
                violations of laws and regulations in the United 
                States.
                                 <all>