III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 268 

Expressing support for the designation of June 2021 as ‘‘National Dairy 

Month’’ to recognize the important role dairy plays in a healthy diet 

and the exceptional work of dairy producers in being stewards of the 

land and livestock. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 14, 2021 

Mr. MARSHALL (for himself, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. CORNYN, Ms. HASSAN, 

Mr. CRAPO, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. RISCH, Mr. KING, Mr. GRASSLEY, Ms. SMITH, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. 

LUJA ́N, Ms. COLLINS, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 

and Forestry 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of June 2021 as 

‘‘National Dairy Month’’ to recognize the important role 

dairy plays in a healthy diet and the exceptional work 

of dairy producers in being stewards of the land and 

livestock. 

Whereas the United States dairy industry serves as a key 

driver in the national food system and supports the people of the United States both nutritionally and economically; 

Whereas the 2020–2025 United States Dietary Guidelines for 

Americans finds that healthy dietary patterns feature 


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•SRES 268 IS 

dairy products, as such products provide essential nutrients which keep the people of the United States healthy 

and serve as a leading source of— 

(1) calcium, which helps maintain strong bones and 

aids in heart function; and 

(2) vitamin D, which aids in calcium absorption; 

Whereas the 2020–2025 United States Dietary Guidelines for 

Americans finds that some products sold as ‘‘milks’’ 

made from plants may be consumed as a source of calcium, but most plant products are not nutritionally similar to milk from dairy cows; 

Whereas the 2020–2025 United States Dietary Guidelines for 

Americans provides daily recommendations for key age 

groups, including— 

(1) 3 cup-equivalents of dairy products for pre-teens, 

teenagers, and adults; 

(2) 21⁄2 cups for children 4 to 8 years of age; and 

(3) 2 cups for children 2 to 4 years of age; 

Whereas studies have shown that following these daily recommendations leads to improved bone health and reduced 

risk of— 

(1) osteoporosis, which is a condition where bones 

become more fragile over time and more prone to fractures; and 

(2) cardiovascular diseases, which are a group of 

disorders of the heart and blood vessels that lead to heart 

attacks and strokes and are among the leading causes of 

death in the United States; 

Whereas individuals who are lactose intolerant can choose 

low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products; 


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Whereas 42 percent of individuals in the United States are 

below their estimated average requirement for calcium intake, and 94 percent are below such requirement for vitamin D intake; 

Whereas a global study of more than 136,000 adults from 21 

countries found that consuming at least 2 servings of 

dairy products per day is associated with lower risk for 

heart disease, stroke, and death; 

Whereas the annual all-inclusive expense of providing care for 

osteoporotic fractures among Medicare beneficiaries was 

an estimated $57,000,000,000 in 2018, and is expected 

to increase to over $95,000,000,000 by 2040; 

Whereas, when broken down by individual, in the year following a fracture, all-cause health care costs exceeded 

$30,000, of which an average of $3,000 was paid by the 

patient; 

Whereas Congress authorized dairy products as eligible foods 

under the special supplemental nutrition program for 

women, infants, and children program under section 17 

of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), 

which safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk 

by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets; 

Whereas Congress authorized the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 

2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), which helps low-income 

working families, low-income seniors, and people with disabilities access nutritious foods, including dairy products; 

Whereas the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement provided new opportunities and continued supporting the acVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:21 Jun 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR268.IS SR268

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cess of high-quality United States products to 2 valuable 

export markets; 

Whereas dairy production efficiently and affordably provides 

essential nutrients, while only contributing to 1.3 percent 

of the greenhouse gas emissions of the United States; 

Whereas, between 1944 and 2007, the United States dairy 

industry produced 59 percent more milk and reduced its 

carbon footprint by 63 percent with 79 percent fewer 

cows; 

Whereas, in 2020, the average dairy cow in the United States 

produced 23,777 pounds (or 44,463 cups) of milk per 

year, an increase of 11.5 percent from 2011; 

Whereas milk is produced in all 50 States on 31,657 licensed 

dairy farms, with California, Wisconsin, Idaho, New 

York, and Texas serving as the top 5 producers, producing 53 percent of the United States dairy; and 

Whereas the United States dairy industry directly and indirectly provides $753,000,000,000 in total economic impact to the United States and supports 3,300,000 jobs: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the designation of June 2021 as 

3 ‘‘National Dairy Month’’ to recognize— 

4 (A) the important role dairy plays in a 

5 healthy diet; 

6 (B) the exceptional work of dairy pro7 ducers in being stewards of the land and live8 stock; and 


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1 (C) the economic impact of the United 

2 States dairy industry; and 

3 (2) encourages the people of the United States 

4 to visit with dairy producers to learn more about ag5 riculture and the vital role dairy producers play in 

6 our global food system. 

Æ 


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