Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The terrorist attacks of September 11 underscored the critical importance of a safe and adequate supply of blood for transfusions. In recent years, an average of 8 million volunteers have donated more than 14 million units of blood annually, and 4.5 million patients per year have received life-saving blood transfusions, according to the American Association of Blood Banks. Ninety percent of the U.S. blood supply is collected by two blood suppliers, the American National Red Cross and the independent blood banks affiliated with America's Blood Centers. Within the federal government, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for overseeing the safety of the nation's blood supply. The surge in donations after the terrorist attacks added an estimated 500,000 units to annual collections in 2001. The experience illustrated that large numbers of Americans are willing to donate blood in response to disasters. However, because very few of the units donated immediately after September 11 were needed by the survivors, this experience has also raised concerns among blood suppliers and within the government about how best to manage and prepare the blood supply for emergencies. Data indicate that the blood …