; 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