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| Waxman, Davis, and McCain Introduce Clean Sports Act of 2005 (H.R. 2565) |
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Today Rep. Waxman, Chairman Davis, and Sen. McCain introduced a bill to to address the problem of performance enhancing drugs in sports. The Clean Sports Act of 2005 (H.R. 2565) authorizes the Office of National Drug Control Policy to enact a tough, uniform standard for professional sports, and to require leagues to institute stringent testing policies and penalties for players with positive results. Rep. Waxman's Statement appears below: I am very pleased to be here with Chairman Davis and Senator McCain to introduce the Clean Sports Act of 2005. Both Chairman Davis and Senator McCain have shown tremendous leadership in this important effort. I am also pleased to be joined by our Subcommittee Chairman and Ranking Member, Rep. Souder and Rep. Cummings. I am proud to stand here with all of them today. For me, this bill is less about sports than it is about public health. At the Committee hearing in March, we learned about the experiences of three families — the Hootons, the Garibaldis, and the Marreros — whose lives were shattered when their sons committed suicide after using steroids. We also learned that as many as 500,000 teenagers have experimented with steroids. This legislation is an effort to break the cycle of steroid use that endangers our children. Aspiring young athletes need to know that steroid use in the pros leads to suspension and expulsion, not home run records and adulation. Only then can we ensure that other families will not endure what the Hootons, Garibaldis, and Marreros have suffered through. The tough standards in this legislation will reduce the use of performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports. And in doing so, the legislation will reduce the use of these dangerous drugs by college and high-school athletes. There is an absolute correlation between the culture of steroids in the major league clubhouse and the culture of steroids in high school gyms. If we can remove steroids from the clubhouse, we will fix the problems in school locker rooms. I have commended Major League Baseball and other leagues for the steps they have initiated since the March hearings. But there should be minimum uniform standards that every league must meet. And families should be able to trust that there is an independent regulatory body that will oversee league compliance. Today’s legislation will help restore integrity to the sports we love. But most important, it will send a clear and direct message to teenagers: the use of performance-enhancing drugs is no ticket to athletic success. Documents and Links |
Committee On Oversight and Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives | 2157 Rayburn House Office Building | Washington, D.C. 20515 | (202) 225-5051
