[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 284 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 284

Expressing support for the designation of June 2023 as ``National Dairy 
 Month'' to recognize the important role dairy plays in a healthy diet 
 and the exceptional work of dairy producers in being stewards of the 
                          land and livestock.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2023

 Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Mr. Marshall, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Cornyn, 
Mr. Lujan, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Murphy, Ms. Collins, Mr. King, Mr. Risch, 
  Ms. Hassan, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Welch, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Ms. Smith, Mrs. 
    Shaheen, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Braun) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for the designation of June 2023 as ``National Dairy 
 Month'' to recognize the important role dairy plays in a healthy diet 
 and the exceptional work of dairy producers in being stewards of the 
                          land and livestock.

Whereas the dairy industry of the United States serves as a key driver in the 
        national food system and supports the people of the United States both 
        nutritionally and economically;
Whereas the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans published under section 
        301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 
        1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341)--

    (1) finds that healthy dietary patterns feature dairy products, as such 
products provide essential nutrients that keep the people of the United 
States healthy and serve as a leading source of--

    G    (A) calcium, which helps maintain strong bones and aids in heart 
function; and

    G    (B) vitamin D, which aids in calcium absorption;

    (2) finds that some products sold as ``milks'' made from plants may be 
consumed as a source of calcium, but most plant products are not 
nutritionally similar to milk from dairy cows; and

    (3) provides daily recommendations of dairy products for key age 
groups, including--

    G    (A) 3 cup-equivalents for pre-teens, teenagers, and adults;

    G    (B) 2\1/2\ cup-equivalents for children 4 to 8 years of age; and

    G    (C) 2 cup-equivalents for children 2 to 4 years of age;

Whereas studies have shown that following the daily recommendations of dairy 
        products provided in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans leads to 
        improved bone health and reduced risk of--

    (1) osteoporosis, which is a condition in which bones become more 
fragile over time and more prone to fractures; and

    (2) cardiovascular diseases, which are a group of disorders of the 
heart and blood vessels that lead to heart attacks and strokes and are 
among the leading causes of death in the United States;

Whereas individuals who are lactose intolerant can choose low-lactose and 
        lactose-free dairy products;
Whereas 42 percent of individuals in the United States take in less than their 
        estimated average required amount of calcium, and 94 percent take in 
        less than their estimated average required amount of vitamin D;
Whereas a global study of more than 136,000 adults from 21 countries found that 
        consuming at least 2 servings of dairy products per day is associated 
        with lower risk for heart disease, stroke, and death;
Whereas the annual all-inclusive expense of providing care for osteoporotic 
        fractures among Medicare beneficiaries was an estimated $57,000,000,000 
        in 2018--

    (1) which, when broken down by individual, represents all-cause health 
care costs exceeding $30,000 in the year following a fracture, of which the 
patient paid an average of $3,000; and

    (2) is expected to increase to more than $95,000,000,000 by 2040;

Whereas Congress authorized dairy products as eligible foods under the special 
        supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children program 
        under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), 
        which safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children 
        up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods, 
        including dairy products, to supplement diets;
Whereas Congress authorized the supplemental nutrition assistance program under 
        the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), which helps 
        low-income working families, low-income seniors, and people with 
        disabilities access nutritious foods, including dairy products;
Whereas the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 
        4501 et seq.) provided new opportunities and continued to support the 
        access of high-quality United States products to 2 valuable export 
        markets;
Whereas dairy production efficiently and affordably provides essential 
        nutrients, while only contributing to 1.3 percent of the greenhouse gas 
        emissions of the United States;
Whereas, between 1944 and 2007, advancements allowed the dairy industry of the 
        United States to produce 59 percent more milk with 79 percent fewer cows 
        and reduce its carbon footprint by 63 percent;
Whereas, in 2022, the average dairy cow in the United States produced 24,087 
        pounds (or 46,180 cups) of milk per year;
Whereas 27,932 licensed dairy farms produce milk in all 50 States, with 
        California, Wisconsin, Idaho, New York, and Texas serving as the top 5 
        producers, producing 53 percent of the dairy in the United States; and
Whereas the dairy industry of the United States directly and indirectly provides 
        $793,750,000,000 in total economic impact to the United States and 
        supports 3,200,000 jobs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the designation of June 2023 as ``National 
        Dairy Month'' to recognize--
                    (A) the important role dairy plays in a healthy 
                diet;
                    (B) the exceptional work of dairy producers in 
                being stewards of the land and livestock; and
                    (C) the economic impact of the United States dairy 
                industry; and
            (2) encourages the people of the United States to visit 
        with dairy producers to learn more about agriculture and the 
        vital role dairy producers play in the global food system.
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