[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 11663-11664]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF COOPERATIVES

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
87, and the Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 87) designating the year of 2012 as 
     the ``International Year of Cooperatives.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
preamble be agreed to; the resolution be agreed to; that the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate; that any statements related to the resolution be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 87) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 87

       Whereas in the United States, there are more than 29,000 
     cooperatives with 120,000,000 members;
       Whereas cooperatives in the United States generate 
     2,000,000 jobs and make a substantial contribution to the 
     economy of the United States with annual sales of 
     $652,000,000,000 and assets of $3,000,000,000,000;

[[Page 11664]]

       Whereas the cooperative business model has empowered people 
     around the world to improve their lives through economic and 
     social progress;
       Whereas cooperatives are a major economic force in 
     developed countries and a powerful business model in 
     developing countries, employing approximately 100,000,000 
     people;
       Whereas there are millions of cooperatives, which are owned 
     and governed by more than 1,000,000,000 members, operating in 
     every nation of the world;
       Whereas the economic activity of the largest 300 
     cooperatives in the world is equal to that of the 10th 
     largest national economy;
       Whereas United Nations Resolution 64/136, adopted by the 
     General Assembly on December 18, 2009, designates the year 
     2012 as the ``International Year of Cooperatives'';
       Whereas the theme of the International Year of Cooperatives 
     is ``Cooperative Enterprise Builds a Better World''; and
       Whereas cooperatives are the businesses of the people, and 
     for more than a century, have been a vital part of the world 
     economy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the year 2012 as the ``International Year of 
     Cooperatives'';
       (2) congratulates cooperatives and members of cooperatives 
     in the United States and around the world on the recognition 
     of the United Nations of 2012 as the ``International Year of 
     Cooperatives'';
       (3) recognizes the vital role cooperatives play in the 
     economic and social well-being of the United States;
       (4) urges the establishment of a National Committee for the 
     2012 International Year of Cooperatives to be comprised of 
     representatives from each Federal agency, all cooperative 
     sectors, and key stakeholders;
       (5) recognizes the importance of raising the profile of 
     cooperatives and demonstrating the manner by which 
     cooperatives build local wealth, generate employment, and 
     provide competition in the marketplace; and
       (6) encourages highlighting the positive impact of 
     cooperatives and developing new programs for domestic and 
     international cooperative development.

                          ____________________