[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 13, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E902-E903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2008

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, on May 21, 1881, the American Red Cross was 
founded by Clara Barton. Ms. Barton was a former schoolteacher, clerk 
in the U.S. Patent Office, and hero during the Civil War where she was 
nicknamed the ``Angel of the Battlefield'' for her service to wounded 
troops.
  After successfully lobbying Congress to join and found the American 
chapter of the International Red Cross and to sign the Geneva 
Convention, Barton became the organization's first President. She led 
the American Red Cross for 23 years.
  Just over three months after its founding, the Red Cross was called 
into action. The first major disaster relief operation occurred on 
August 22, 1881, when the American Red Cross responded to devastation 
caused by major forest fires in Michigan.
  On June 6, 1900, the American Red Cross was given a Congressional 
charter that mandated the organization to fulfill the provisions of the 
Geneva Convention, by rendering aid to those wounded during war, 
providing communication between family members and members of the U.S. 
military, and administering relief to those affected by disasters 
during peacetime. The charter also reserves the Red Cross emblem for 
use only by the Red Cross.
  Even though the organization has a Congressional mandate, it is not a 
federally funded organization. It is a non-profit, charitable 
organization that receives its funding from public donations.
  Today, the American Red Cross is more important than ever in helping 
Americans who are in need of aid and who are affected by disasters. The 
organization has six major areas of work that it focuses on today: 
Disaster relief, community services that assist the needy, 
communications services and comfort for military members and their 
family members, collection processing and distribution of blood and 
blood products, educational programs on health and safety, and 
international relief and development programs.

[[Page E903]]

  Each year, more than a million volunteers and 30,000 Red Cross 
employees mobilize relief efforts to the victims of more than 63,000 
disasters nationwide through a network of more than 700 chapters.
  One of the most important and successful roles of the Red Cross has 
been the organization's role as the primary supplier of lifesaving 
blood for more than 50 years. As a leader in blood collecting and 
screening techniques, the Red Cross has helped to develop new 
techniques that have assisted in providing safer blood to those who 
need it which helps to lessen complications and transmittable 
illnesses.
  As the Red Cross moved into the 21st century, it has begun to spread 
out into other lifesaving areas. It has concentrated training and 
public awareness in the fields of First Aid, Cardio Pulmonary 
Resuscitation (CPR), the use of Automated External Defibrillators 
(AED), and water safety training.
  Although I hope I shall never need the American Red Cross's emergency 
services and aid, it is good to know that we have such an outstanding 
organization there if such as situation should arise. The vision of Ms. 
Barton has come to fruition to the benefit of all Americans, and for 
this I want to recognize both Clara Barton and the organization that 
she founded, The American Red Cross.

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