Q: What is Whistleblower Appreciation Day?
A: Throughout my work on behalf of Iowans in Congress, I take seriously my constitutional oversight responsibilities to ensure the government works for the American people, not the other way around. Whistleblowers play a crucial role by shining light on wrongdoing. As co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, I reintroduced a bipartisan resolution to designate July 30th as “National Whistleblower Appreciation Day” for the tenth consecutive year. This resolution celebrates the courageous contributions of unsung heroes in civic life who blow the whistle to combat corruption and wrongdoing that violate the law, waste taxpayer dollars and put the American people in harm’s way. Whistleblowers put their reputations on the line to tell the truth and deserve recognition, not retribution. The Continental Congress unanimously adopted the first whistleblower law 245 years ago on July 30, 1778, calling upon “all persons in the service of the United States…to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, fraud or misdemeanors...which may come to their knowledge.” Our Senate resolution reaffirms the intent of the nation’s founders and calls upon federal agencies to encourage and support whistleblowers when they disclose misconduct.
However, support for whistleblowers doesn’t start and stop on July 30th. It’s a year-round job. I keep my nose to the grindstone in Washington to...
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