[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 340 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 340
Designating July 30, 2025, as ``National Whistleblower Appreciation
Day''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 29, 2025
Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Baldwin, Ms.
Collins, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Wicker, Mr.
Warnock, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Markey, Ms.
Ernst, and Mr. Johnson) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
August 1, 2025
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating July 30, 2025, 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 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
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates July 30, 2025, as ``National Whistleblower
Appreciation Day''; and
(2) ensures that the Federal Government implements the
intent of the Founding Fathers, as reflected in the legislation
passed on July 30, 1778 (relating to whistleblowers), by
encouraging each executive agency to recognize National
Whistleblower Appreciation Day by--
(A) informing employees, contractors working on
behalf of the taxpayers of the United States, and
members of the public about the legal right of a United
States citizen to ``blow the whistle'' to the
appropriate authority by honest and good faith
reporting of misconduct, fraud, misdemeanors, or other
crimes; and
(B) acknowledging the contributions of
whistleblowers to combating waste, fraud, abuse, and
violations of laws and regulations of the United
States.
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