The letter follows one sent by Maloney and Ocasio-Cortez in 2020 with the same message, after which the FDA said it would loosen some of the restrictions that have obstructed gay and bisexual men from donating blood. It said it has “less than a one-day supply of critical blood types.” The Red Cross declared its first-ever national blood crisis in the U.S. this week, warning that doctors are being forced to make “difficult decisions” about which patients receive blood transfusions over others. The letter, which was obtained by The Hill, says that the existing recommendation “continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men” and “undermine crucial efforts to ensure an adequate and stable national blood supply.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Katie Porter (Calif.) wrote a letter to the FDA on Thursday urging it to take “immediate action” to revisit the “troubling policy.” Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Chairman Jamie Raskin (Md.) and Reps.
A group of House Democrats is calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reassess its current blood donation policy that limits gay and bisexual men from donating blood as the nation struggles with a severe shortage.
