[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 51 (Thursday, March 18, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H1505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL RED CROSS MONTH

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
March as National Red Cross Month.
  While Red Cross Month has been celebrated since 1943, the Red Cross 
itself has been making an impact on community health since 1881.
  In 1889, Clara Barton led one of the first mobilizations to a 
national disaster following the Johnstown Flood. This site is in the 
process of being preserved today and is known as the Clara Barton 
House.
  Perhaps the organization's best-known program, the American Red 
Cross, established the first nationwide civilian blood donation program 
in the 1940s.
  According to the organization, someone in the United States needs 
blood every 2 seconds. Less than 38 percent of the U.S. population is 
eligible to give blood, and only 3 percent of those individuals donate 
annually. The critical need for blood and the lifesaving potential that 
comes with a donation cannot be overstated.
  The American Red Cross has always been a leader in this effort, and, 
today, they still provide more than 40 percent of the blood products in 
the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage all healthy Americans to 
donate blood and plasma. In the wake of the pandemic, it is needed now 
more than ever.

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