[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 828 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 828
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 30, 2023
Mr. Pocan (for himself, Mr. Baird, and Mr. Bowman) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
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.
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 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 over $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 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 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, had 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 Nation's landmass
including 92 percent of persistent poverty counties and energy
cooperatives power over 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 critical and proven 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 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; 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.
<all>