The FDA's Advisory Board recently recommended that the FDA ban the importation of blood from Europe and prevent anyone who has traveled or lived in Britain for three months or more from 1980 to 1996, or spent five years in any European country from 1980 to today, from donating blood. The decision was made in reaction to fear of "mad cow" disease. "Euroblood" accounts for approximately 33% of the region's total blood supply. The New York City area currently faces a severe blood shortage emergency, and cannot afford to lose any additional supply.

Schumer set up a meeting for August 10 with representatives from his office, as well as Kenneth E. Raske, President of the Greater New York Hospital Association, and Dr. Robert Jones, President of the New York Blood Center, among others, with Dr. Bernard Schwetz, Acting Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA and several HHS officials to discuss and develop ways to replenish and replace New York's rapidly dwindling blood shortage. While proposals like using excess blood supply donated by military personnel and using federal funds to promote blood donation and to purchase new, mobile donating vehicles were on the agenda, most of the participants left the meeting with the distinct impression that the FDA was more interested in passing the buck than solving the problem.

"When this decision was announced," Schumer said, "I said very clearly that if the FDA wanted to ban blood from Europe, it had better come up with a plan to replace it. When the FDA didn't, we set up a meeting to help them. And instead of then coming through, the FDA turned its back on New York altogether. That's simply not acceptable, and we're not going to let the FDA sit idly by while New York suffers through one of the worst blood shortage emergencies in history."

In a letter sent to HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, Schumer wrote, "If these new regulations go into effect, New York City hospitals could find themselves in the awful position of choosing which patients will receive access to a limited supply of blood."

Schumer emphasized that while local officials share the responsibility to help solve the shortage, it is unacceptable for the federal government to develop a policy that will plunge the region into crisis and then refuse to help provide a solution. "We still have a chance to work together to solve this crisis, but our window of opportunity is fading fast," Schumer wrote. "I would appreciate it if you could revisit the issue with the FDA and help us quickly develop reliable ways to replenish our blood supply before it is too late."

On July 1, Schumer donated blood and unveiled a five-point plan to begin increasing the area's blood supply, including a call for the allocation of $10 million dollars for a publicity campaign to boost blood donation and the purchase of an additional 10 new mobile donating vehicles.