[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 711 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 711
Expressing support for the designation of October 2021 as ``National
Co-Op Month'' and commending the cooperative business model and the
member-owners, businesses, employees, farmers, ranchers, and
practitioners that use the cooperative business model to positively
impact the economy and society.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 8, 2021
Mr. Pocan (for himself, Mr. Baird, Mr. Case, Mr. Kind, and Mr. Welch)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of October 2021 as ``National
Co-Op Month'' and commending the cooperative business model and the
member-owners, businesses, employees, farmers, ranchers, and
practitioners that use the cooperative business model to positively
impact the economy and society.
Whereas during the global COVID-19 pandemic, cooperatives have taken
extraordinary steps to serve their member-owners and communities;
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--
G (A) voluntary open membership;
G (B) democratic control;
G (C) owner economic participation;
G (D) autonomy and independence;
G (E) education, training, and information;
G (F) cooperation among cooperatives; and
G (G) concern for community;
Whereas cooperative entrepreneurs can be found in almost every economic sector
in the United States, throughout all 50 States and territories, and
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
United States agriculture and food markets;
Whereas the roughly 1,800 agricultural cooperatives in America operate more than
8,000 facilities, employ $96 billion in assets, and generate nearly $204
billion in business;
Whereas the majority of America's 2 million farmers belong to an agricultural
cooperative;
Whereas agricultural cooperatives offer members the opportunity to tap into the
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 America by providing over 250,000 jobs with annual wages
totaling over $8 billion;
Whereas agricultural cooperatives provide resources such as low-cost supplies,
effective marketing, and services to their member-owners;
Whereas farmer members in agricultural cooperatives have the opportunity to pool
resources and reinvest profits into its members' communities;
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, 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 American history
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, had organized 4
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 Economic Census, 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 services 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 evolving needs of their
member-owners and help rural individuals in the United States prosper;
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 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 buying clubs to
multistore regional giants that compete with chain stores with locations
across the United States;
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 critical option 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 2019, not less than 1,000 manufactured home communities were
resident-owned, accounting for approximately 2 percent of all
manufactured home communities;
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
buyout, ensuring the 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 House of Representatives--
(1) expresses support for the designation of ``National Co-
Op Month'';
(2) commends the cooperative business model for--
(A) its contributions to the economy;
(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;
(4) will seek to pass legislation that provides for
studying, supporting, encouraging, and promoting the use of the
cooperative business model across all policy areas; and
(5) 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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