[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24717-24718]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  INTEGRITY IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ACT

  Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, today I and some of my colleagues, in a 
bipartisan effort, introduced the Integrity in Professional Sports Act. 
I especially thank my colleague from Arizona, Senator John McCain, for 
working with me on this important legislation. I thank the chairman of 
the Commerce Committee, Senator Stevens, and Senators Grassley and 
Rockefeller, for cosponsoring our bill.
  This is certainly not a bill any of us wanted to introduce. We wish 
Congress did not have to get involved in the issue of drug abuse in 
professional sports. Unfortunately, this might be the only way to get 
professional sports to finally clean up its act.
  As a former major league baseball player and member of its Hall of 
Fame, protecting the integrity of our national pastime is a matter near 
and dear to my heart. I know it is near and dear to the hearts of so 
many across America. We have heard a lot of talk over the last year 
about the leagues working to implement new, tougher drug-testing 
standards. So far, that is all it has been, a lot of talk. Major League 
Baseball and its baseball union told us over a month ago they hoped to 
have a new agreement in place by the end of the World Series. The World 
Series is over and there is still no agreement. The time for talking is 
over. The leagues have had their chance and have failed to lead. Now we 
are going to do it for them.
  We are, in a way, obligated to act since they cannot. We must not 
only ensure that our Federal drug laws are not being circumvented, but 
we also need to restore some integrity to the games that tens of 
millions of Americans enjoy so much. We must act for the sake of our 
children who see these players as heroes and want to emulate them. Like 
it or not, professional athletes are role models. They need to set a 
better example to kids who see them smashing home runs or sacking the 
quarterback and want to be like them. Unfortunately, too many 
professional athletes are injecting themselves and popping pills with 
false hopes and dangerous health effects. Now these acts are being 
emulated by kids even in high school because of the pressure they feel 
to perform at such a young age. We have a duty to help bring this to an 
end.
  As Members of Congress, we can play an important role in educating 
the public on the terrible health effects from steroids. Illegal 
performance-enhancing drugs are a serious problem in professional 
sports and they need to stop now. I hope my colleagues will continue to 
join us in this bipartisan cause. I look forward to working with both 
sides of the aisle on moving this bill forward swiftly.
  I yield to my colleague from Arizona, Senator McCain.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am very proud to join Senator Bunning, 
who many know is a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer. Not many know 
he was a founding member of Major League Baseball's Players Union. He 
brings to this issue impeccable credentials and an enormous amount of 
passion. I am pleased to be supportive of his leadership in this 
effort.

[[Page 24718]]

  It is my hope this legislation would not be necessary. Senator 
Bunning and I both come to this legislation with great reluctance. But 
as Senator Bunning pointed out, the Major League Baseball players said 
they would, by the World Series, come up with an agreement. That has 
not happened.
  The legislation is an effort to set minimum standards that have 
proven effective in Olympic sports and would also introduce 
independence--and this is crucial--into the drug testing programs of 
professional leagues.
  Without an independent entity, such as the U.S. Anti-doping Agency 
that establishes and manages a testing and adjudication program, the 
fox will continue to guard the henhouse. That is exactly the problem 
that the U.S. Olympic movement faced several years ago, and they 
brought integrity back to American Olympic sports by putting the 
responsibility for testing in the hands of an independent entity.
  There are some who argue that Senator Bunning and I have no business 
legislating an issue which is basically a labor-management issue. We 
agree. We agree. We do not want to have to legislate. We do not want to 
have to force both entities to do something they otherwise should have 
done, but we have no choice. As the Senator from Kentucky has so 
eloquently pointed out, our obligation is not to the people who are 
making millions of dollars this year. Our obligation is not even to 
those who are members of professional sports. Our obligations are to 
the families of the young people who believe the only way they can make 
it in the major leagues is to inject these substances into their 
bodies.
  Anybody who followed the hearing on the House side, where there was 
testimony from parents of young men who had committed suicide as a 
result of the use of these substances, knows this issue has now 
transcended a labor-management issue. Senator Bunning and I come to 
this floor more in sorrow than in anger that we have had to take this 
extraordinary step. But we will take it; we will take it for the 
benefit of young Americans who believe the only way they can make it in 
the major leagues is by using these substances and to give hope to 
others who refuse to do it and want to make it on their own merits.
  Mr. President, I again thank the Senator from Kentucky, who has been 
a role model to so many millions of young Americans for so many years, 
for his involvement in this effort.
  Mr. President, I yield the remainder of my time.
  Mr. BUNNING. I thank the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, might I speak for a moment?
  Mr. President, I wish to say, before Senator McCain and Senator 
Bunning leave the floor, I think my colleagues know I must recuse 
myself from all matters on baseball because my wife represents Major 
League Baseball. But as a personal matter, I wish to thank Senator 
McCain and Senator Bunning for their moral leadership. It is a scourge 
not only for professional sports but for amateur sports because, 
increasingly, those who are competing on an amateur level believe they 
have to use steroids to compete. That is a tragedy.
  We are seeing usage of steroids at 20 to 40 percent in high school 
athletes because they read the stories, and they see what others are 
doing who have been at the very highest levels.
  So I wish to give my profound thanks to Senator McCain and Senator 
Bunning.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.

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