,,iii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #aff  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #d1  
#bjae ,mrs4 ,feinstein 7for herself1    
,mrs4 ,boxer1 and ,ms4 ,murkowski7      
submitted the following resolution2     
which was considered and agreed to      
,,resolution  ,expressing the sense of  
the ,senate that domestically grown     
flowers support the farmers1 small      
businesses1 jobs1 and economy of the    
,united ,states1 enhance the ability of 
the people of the ,united ,states to    
honor their mothers on ,mother's ,day1  
and that the ,white ,house should strive
 to showcase domestically grown flowers4
  ,whereas the people of the ,united    
,states have a long history of using    
flowers and greens grown in the ,united 
,states to bring beauty to important    
events and express affection for loved  
ones2 ,whereas consumers spend more than
 #be1jjj1jjj1jjj each year on floral    
products1 including garden plants1      
bedding1 indoor plants1 and cut flowers2

 ,whereas #cj percent of households in  
the ,united ,states purchase fresh cut  
flowers and greens from more than       
#af1jjj florists and floral             
establishments each year2 ,whereas the  
people of the ,united ,states           
increasingly want to support            
domestically produced foods and         
agricultural products1 yet #gd percent  
of the people of the ,united ,states do 
not know where the flowers they purchase
 are grown1 and #eh percent would prefer
 to buy locally grown flowers given the 
choice2 ,whereas in response to         
increased demand1 the ,certified        
,american ,grown ,flowers logo was      
created in ,july #bjad1 in order to     
educate and empower consumers to        
purchase flowers from domestic          
producers2 ,whereas as of ,april #bjae1 
millions of stems of domestically grown 
flowers are now ,certified ,american    
,grown2 ,whereas domestic flower farmers
 produce thousands of varieties of      
flowers across the ,united ,states1 such

 as peonies in ,alaska1 ,gerbera daisies
 in ,california1 lupines in ,maine1     
tulips in ,washington1 lilies in        
,oregon1 and larkspur in ,texas2        
,whereas the #e flower varieties with   
the highest ,united ,states production  
are tulips1 ,gerbera daisies1 lilies1   
irises1 and gladiolas2 ,whereas people  
in every ,state have access to          
domestically grown flowers1 yet only #a 
of #e flowers sold in the ,united       
,states is domestically grown2 ,whereas 
the domestic cut flower industry creates
 almost #db1jjj1jjj in economic impact  
daily and supports hundreds of growers1 
thousands of small businesses1 and tens 
of thousands of jobs in the ,united     
,states2 ,whereas more people in the    
,united ,states are expressing interest 
in growing flowers locally1 which has   
resulted in an approximately #bj percent
 increase in the number of domestic cut 
flower farms since #bjjg2 ,whereas most 
domestic cut flowers and greens are sold
 in the ,united ,states within #bd to   

#dh hours after harvest and last longer 
than flowers shipped longer distances2  
,whereas in #bjad1 ,president ,barack   
,obama and ,first ,lady ,michelle ,obama
 highlighted their support for          
domestically grown flowers at the ,white
 ,house ,state ,dinner with ,french     
,president ,franois ,hollande1 the only 
,white ,house ,state ,dinner that year2 
,whereas the #bjad ,white ,house ,state 
,dinner featured quince branch from     
,mississippi1 weeping willow from ,new  
,jersey1 ,scotch broom from ,virginia1  
iris from ,california1 and alocasia1    
equisetum1 nandina1 and green liriope   
from ,florida2 ,whereas flower-giving   
has been a holiday tradition in the     
,united ,states for generations2        
,whereas ,mother's ,day and ,valentine's
 ,day are #b of the #c top flower-giving
 holidays in the ,united ,states2       
,whereas #ch percent of the people in   
the ,united ,states1 spending more than 
#b1jjj1jjj1jjj1 buy flowers on          
,valentine's ,day2 and ,whereas flowers 

are even more popular on ,mother's ,day 
than on ,valentine's ,day1 and in #bjad1
 #b_/c of people in the ,united ,states 
celebrating ,mother's ,day purchased    
flowers1 spending more than             
#b1cjj1jjj1jjj3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  
,that it is the sense of the ,senate    
that-- 7#a7 purchasing flowers grown in 
the ,united ,states supports the        
farmers1 small businesses1 jobs1 and    
economy of the ,united ,states2  7#b7   
flowers and greens grown in the ,united 
,states are a vital and integral part of
 the agricultural industry of the       
,united ,states2  7#c7 flowers grown in 
the ,united ,states enhance the ability 
of ,americans to honor their mothers on 
,mother's ,day2 and  7#d7 the ,white    
,house should strive to showcase flowers
 and greens grown in the ,united ,states
 to show support for the flower         
breeders1 farmers1 processors1 and      
distributors of the ,united ,states4