[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4641]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 431--RECOGNIZING THE IMMEASURABLE BENEFITS OF THE 
   NATIONAL 4-H PROGRAM TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES AND 
           SUPPORTING THE CAMPAIGN TO EXPAND THE 4-H PROGRAM

  Mr. WICKER (for himself, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Alexander, Ms. Baldwin, 
Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Capito, Mr. 
Casey, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Crapo, Mr. 
Daines, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Kirk, Mr. 
King, Mr. McCain, Mr. Moran, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Peters, Mr. Risch, Mr. 
Roberts, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Udall, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Merkley, 
Mrs. Ernst, and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 431

       Whereas in the late 1800s, 4-H clubs developed in rural 
     communities to promote agricultural education among young 
     people;
       Whereas the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 341 et seq.) 
     established the cooperative extension services, which 
     resulted in a national 4-H program;
       Whereas the 4-H program and pledge are based on the values 
     of community service, public leadership, and healthful 
     living;
       Whereas 4-H has played an indispensable role in shaping the 
     lives of young leaders in rural areas of the United States 
     for over 100 years;
       Whereas nearly 6,000,000 young people are currently 
     involved in 4-H, 40 percent of whom are from urban and 
     suburban backgrounds;
       Whereas the 4-H program has evolved to include 
     opportunities for 4-H youth to become proficient in--
       (1) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); and
       (2) citizenship and public speaking;

       Whereas young people who participate in 4-H are twice as 
     likely as their peers who are not involved in 4-H--
       (1) to be civically engaged;
       (2) to participate in science, engineering, and computer 
     technology programs outside of school; and
       (3) to make healthful life choices;

       Whereas the National 4-H Congress, National 4-H Conference, 
     and Citizenship Washington Focus give hundreds of young 
     people who participate in 4-H the opportunity to exercise 
     leadership skills nationally and to learn about the history 
     and government of the United States; and
       Whereas in April 2016, the National 4-H Council launched a 
     ``Grow True Leaders'' campaign to expand the benefits of 4-H 
     to more communities, with the goal of creating 10,000,000 
     True Leaders by 2025: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes 4-H as a vital organization for training the 
     next generation for national leadership;
       (2) congratulates the National 4-H Council on its ``Grow 
     True Leaders'' campaign; and
       (3) supports the efforts of the National 4-H Council to 
     grow and diversify the 4-H program.

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