Political Quotes

“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. ____________________”