[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 17, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S150-S151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 525--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF 
OCTOBER 2023 AS ``NATIONAL CO-OP MONTH'' AND COMMENDING THE COOPERATIVE 
 BUSINESS MODEL AND THE MEMBER-OWNERS, BUSINESSES, EMPLOYEES, FARMERS, 
 RANCHERS, AND PRACTITIONERS WHO USE THE COOPERATIVE BUSINESS MODEL TO 
               POSITIVELY IMPACT THE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY

  Ms. SMITH (for herself and Mr. Hoeven) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 525

       Whereas a cooperative--
       (1) is a business that is owned and governed by its 
     members, who are the individuals who use the business, create 
     the products of the business, or manage the operation of the 
     business; and
       (2) operates under the 7 principles of--

[[Page S151]]

          (A) voluntary open membership;
          (B) democratic control;
          (C) owner economic participation;
          (D) autonomy and independence;
          (E) education, training, and information;
          (F) cooperation among cooperatives; and
          (G) concern for community;
       Whereas cooperative entrepreneurs can be found in almost 
     every economic sector in the United States, throughout all 50 
     States and the territories of the United States, and in every 
     congressional district in the United States;
       Whereas cooperatives help farmers increase incomes and 
     become more resilient to economic business cycles by working 
     together to plan and prepare for the future, while 
     contributing significantly to the economic activity in the 
     agriculture and food markets of the United States;
       Whereas the roughly 1,700 agricultural cooperatives in the 
     United States operate more than 9,500 facilities, employ a 
     record $111,000,000,000 in assets, and generate more than 
     $231,400,000,000 in business;
       Whereas the majority of the 2,000,000 farmers in the United 
     States belong to an agricultural cooperative;
       Whereas agricultural cooperatives offer members the 
     opportunity to access commodity value-added profits 
     throughout the handling, processing, and distribution chains;
       Whereas member-owners in agricultural cooperatives are 
     dedicated to providing the highest quality product for 
     consumers;
       Whereas agricultural cooperatives add significant benefits 
     to the economic well-being of rural areas of the United 
     States by providing more than 250,000 jobs with annual wages 
     totaling more than $11,000,000,000;
       Whereas agricultural cooperatives provide resources to 
     their member-owners, such as low-cost supplies, effective 
     marketing, and services;
       Whereas farmer members in agricultural cooperatives have 
     the opportunity to pool resources and reinvest profits into 
     the communities of the farmer members;
       Whereas the principles of cooperation and the cooperative 
     business model help smallholder farmers organize themselves 
     and gain access to local and global markets, training, 
     improved inputs, conservation programs, and aggregated sales 
     and marketing;
       Whereas the cooperative business model provides farmers 
     ownership over their economic decisions, a focus on learning, 
     and a broader understanding of environmental and social 
     concerns;
       Whereas the cooperative business model has been used 
     throughout the history of the United States to advance civil 
     rights and to help ensure that all people have equal access 
     to economic opportunity;
       Whereas cooperative values promote self-determination and 
     democratic rights for all people;
       Whereas the comprehensive global food security strategy 
     established under section 5 of the Global Food Security Act 
     of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9304) (commonly known as ``Feed the 
     Future'') and the Cooperative Development Program of the 
     United States Agency for International Development use 
     cooperative principles and the cooperative business model to 
     advance international development, nutrition, resilience, and 
     economic security;
       Whereas the Interagency Working Group on Cooperative 
     Development--
       (1) is an interagency group that is coordinated and chaired 
     by the Secretary of Agriculture to foster cooperative 
     development and ensure coordination with Federal agencies and 
     national and local cooperative organizations that have 
     cooperative programs and interests; and
       (2) as of the date of introduction of this resolution, has 
     organized 11 meetings;
       Whereas the bipartisan Congressional Cooperative Business 
     Caucus unites Members of Congress to--
       (1) create a better-informed electorate and a more educated 
     public on the important role that cooperatives play in the 
     economy of the United States and the world;
       (2) promote the cooperative business model because that 
     model ensures that consumers have access to high-quality 
     goods and services at competitive prices and costs that 
     improve the lives of individuals, families, and their 
     communities; and
       (3) address and correct awareness challenges among the 
     public and within the Federal Government relating to what 
     cooperatives look like, who participates in cooperatives, 
     where cooperatives are located, and why individuals choose 
     cooperatives;
       Whereas the Bureau of the Census, as part of the 2017 and 
     2022 Economic Censuses, asked each business if the business 
     was organized as a cooperative, and the responses of 
     businesses yielded both quantitative and qualitative data on 
     the effects and importance of cooperatives across the economy 
     of the United States;
       Whereas, throughout the rural United States, many utility 
     service providers operate as cooperatives and are tasked with 
     the delivery of public services, such as electricity, water, 
     telecommunications, and broadband, in areas where investor-
     owned utility companies typically do not operate;
       Whereas utility cooperatives have innovated to meet the 
     evolving needs of their member-owners, create more resilient 
     communities, and help rural individuals in the United States 
     prosper;
       Whereas electric cooperatives serve 56 percent of the 
     landmass of the United States, including 92 percent of 
     persistent poverty counties, and energy cooperatives power 
     more than 21,500,000 homes, businesses, and schools;
       Whereas there are approximately 260 telephone cooperatives 
     in the United States with total annual revenues of 
     $3,900,000,000;
       Whereas, in the financial services sector, cooperatives, 
     including credit unions, farm credit banks, and other 
     financing organizations that lend to cooperatives, provide 
     numerous benefits to the member-owners of those cooperatives;
       Whereas, nationally, approximately 4,800 credit unions 
     serve 138,000,000 members;
       Whereas member-owners of cooperatives vote in board 
     elections, and earned profits cycle back into cost-saving 
     programs or return as dividend payments;
       Whereas purchasing and shared service cooperatives allow 
     independent and franchise businesses to thrive;
       Whereas food cooperatives range in size from small, local 
     institutions to multi-store regional giants that compete with 
     chain stores with locations across the United States;
       Whereas food cooperatives support local producers in all 50 
     States and reduce food insecurity;
       Whereas, in the housing sector, housing cooperatives and 
     resident-owned communities in which members own the building 
     or land--
       (1) are an alternative to conventional rental apartments, 
     manufactured home parks, and condominiums; and
       (2) empower each resident with ownership and 
     responsibility;
       Whereas housing cooperatives have roots dating to the late 
     1800s and are increasingly becoming a housing alternative for 
     students at colleges throughout the United States;
       Whereas shared equity housing cooperatives are a strategy 
     for preserving long-term, affordable housing;
       Whereas cooperatives allow residents of manufactured home 
     communities to collectively purchase the land on which they 
     live, providing stability and the opportunity to self-govern;
       Whereas, as of 2023, 309 manufactured home communities are 
     cooperatively owned;
       Whereas the growth of worker cooperatives in the United 
     States is allowing more workers to own and have greater 
     control over their businesses;
       Whereas many small businesses convert to cooperatives when 
     faced with closure or a buyout, ensuring that such a business 
     can continue to serve its community; and
       Whereas the cooperative business model allows business 
     owners to retire and transfer business ownership to employees 
     or consumers, protecting local ownership and supporting local 
     communities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses support for the designation of ``National Co-
     Op Month'';
       (2) commends the cooperative business model for--
       (A) its contributions to the economy of the United States;
       (B) the jobs it creates; and
       (C) its positive impacts on local communities;
       (3) expresses confidence in, and support for, cooperatives 
     to continue their successes; and
       (4) will be mindful in crafting legislation that affects 
     business models that are not the cooperative business model 
     so that the legislation does not adversely affect the 
     cooperative business model.

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