Hawkeye Reporter

WASHINGTON -- Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, today led 20 of their colleagues in introducing a resolution designating July 30, 2023 as “National Whistleblower Appreciation Day.”  

The bipartisan resolution celebrates whistleblowers’ courageous contributions to combating legal and regulatory violations, waste, fraud and abuse in the United States. Grassley and Wyden have spearheaded the effort for 10 consecutive years. It has passed the Senate unanimously every year.  

“The cornerstone of the United States’ government is accountability to the people it serves. Whistleblowers put their jobs and reputations on the line to uphold that bedrock principle. Our laws should empower their oversight and ensure they can come forward without fear of retribution,” Grassley said. “Protecting whistleblowers is good government, plain and simple, and that’s something we can all get behind.”  

“Whistleblowers are brave individuals who sound the alarm on fraud, waste, and abuse of public resources,” Wyden said. “It’s time for Congress to step up and support whistleblowers by strengthening laws that allow them to raise issues without fear of retaliation. Whistleblowers are the fail-safe for our government and I’ll fight tooth and nail to shore up protections that bolster our democratic institutions.” 

The Continental Congress on July 30, 1778, unanimously enacted the first whistleblower legislation, stating: “It is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, as well as all other 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.” Grassley and Wyden’s resolution reaffirms the founders’ intent by calling on federal agencies to encourage whistleblowers and support them when they disclose misconduct.  

Grassley and Wyden are joined by the full roster of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus: Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). Joining the caucus members are Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).  

Text of the resolution is available HERE.  

Background:

Whistleblowers are critical for ensuring transparency and robust oversight of the sprawling government by which the U.S. operates today. Grassley has worked to safeguard and strengthen their efforts:  

• As the original author of legislation to fortify the False Claims Act, a law to assist whistleblowers in rooting out fraud and abuse, Grassley has helped save taxpayers $72 billion.
• Grassley wrote the law establishing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblower office, which has saved taxpayers more than $6 billion. Grassley has since championed legislation to improve the efficacy of the IRS whistleblower office.
• This Congress, Grassley introduced legislation to strengthen the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower program to ensure the timely processing of SEC whistleblower claims and further protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
• Last Congress, Grassley introduced a bill to bolster whistleblower protections at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Among other provisions, it would allow agency employees to appeal their retaliation complaints for review by a neutral third party.

Original source can be found here.