Inducted: 2003
Throughout his 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Doug Bereuter has been an outstanding champion of cooperatives, both in his home state of Nebraska and overseas. His steadfast leadership has greatly enhanced international cooperative development and has helped create new business opportunities for U.S. cooperatives. Bereuter's work includes leading the effort for passage of landmark legislation recognizing the role of overseas cooperatives in the promotion of democratic principles, introducing provisions that co-ops be given priority for loans and guarantees from the Overseas Private Investment Corp, promoting the use of cooperatives in hunger alleviation, and writing the funding provisions supporting the Farmer-to-Farmer program. He also introduced the Overseas Cooperative Development Act, which directs USAID to review its development programs and expand the use of cooperatives for agriculture, financial systems, infrastructure, and housing and community services. Domestically he supported tax credits for farmers investing in value-added agricultural property, the Credit Union Membership Access Act, and regulatory relief for farmers and farm retailers in the National Highway System Designation Act. Through his personal commitment to people helping people, Congressman Bereuter is a friend to cooperatives.