[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 8, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S6221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CLEAN SPORTS ACT OF 2005

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today I am pleased to join my colleagues 
Senator McCain and Senator Stevens, to cosponsor the Clean Sports Act 
of 2005. While I regret that we have had to come to this point, it is 
clear that Major League Baseball and other professional leagues are 
more concerned with protecting their own collective bargaining rights 
than doing the right thing.
  Unfortunately, the abuse of illegal steroids by professional athletes 
is something we can no longer ignore. Steroid use is now affecting the 
most impressionable and vulnerable among us. The most recent studies 
indicate that as many as 5 percent to 7 percent of students, even as 
young as middle school, have admitted to using illegal steroids. 
Clearly we must act to curb this growing problem.
  Every day, millions of young people dream of one day playing in the 
big leagues. When superstar athletes, with their multimillion-dollar 
contracts and lucrative endorsements are seen using steroids to improve 
their performance, it should not be surprising that many young athletes 
would want to use steroids to improve their own performance.
  Professional athletes must be held to a higher standard when it comes 
to illegal substances such as steroids. Like it or not, young people 
look up to professional athletes as role models. The Clean Sports Act 
will require all professional sports leagues to adopt a unified 
standard for testing as well as tougher penalties for an athlete found 
in violation of these standards. Unlike testing today, this act will 
require athletes to test during the off-season and frequently during 
their season of play. Athletes will face severe penalties for a 
positive test: 2-year ban for the first offense and a lifetime ban for 
the second.
  I have little doubt that this will go a long way to rid professional 
sports of these dangerous substances and bring integrity back to the 
game. We must send a strong message to professional athletes. If you 
choose to cheat and use illegal steroids, you risk ending your career. 
In turn, our young people will hopefully get the message that using 
steroids to improve athletic performance is absolutely the wrong way to 
go.
  While this bill specifically addresses professional athletics, the 
importance of stopping steroid abuse extends well beyond the track, 
baseball diamond, or football field. We must continue to focus on the 
health and future of our children. I encourage my colleagues to join in 
support of this legislation to set the standard for fair competition.

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