Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
blackhatcowboy
New member
Here's a little something that I just got through reading:
C&P
By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY2 hours, 38 minutes ago
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee plans to unveil a new proposal this week to crack down on steroid use in sports, another sign of the growing determination by Congress to impose tougher testing standards and penalties on pro sports.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., told USA TODAY he's co-authoring the bill with Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record), the top Judiciary Committee Democrat from Michigan. It would put the Justice Department in charge of developing "minimum standards" for testing and penalties. Participation in the program would be voluntary, but Sensenbrenner says there will be "incentives" to encourage pro sports leagues to sign up.
APSensenbrenner
He did not elaborate on what those incentives might be. But in baseball's case the Judiciary Committee could threaten to lift the sport's antitrust exemption.
Lawmakers are returning to Congress this week for the first time since news broke of Baltimore Orioles star Rafael Palmeiro's 10-day suspension last month for steroid use. That has stoked many members' exasperation. "That's called a vacation; that's not a suspension," said Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn.
Palmeiro testified under oath at a House Committee on Government Reform hearing in March that he never used steroids. Committee members and staffers have been examining records of his positive test provided by Major League Baseball to determine whether he could be prosecuted for perjury.
Two members who have seen the records, Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Elijah Cummings, D-Md., say they think perjury charges against Palmeiro are unlikely. "It will be very difficult to prove," Cummings said. But information in the records, Cummings added, would frustrate lawmakers "even further."
The records have not been made public, but Waxman indicated he might push for that. "I don't know for sure, but I generally favor information being made public," he said.
Steroids news hits home
Cummings still lives in the west Baltimore neighborhood where he grew up and, like many natives of the Charm City, considers himself a diehard Baltimore Orioles fan.
But few lawmakers have been more critical of Palmeiro after news last month he tested positive for steroids. When the first baseman returned to the playing field on Aug. 11 after a 10-day suspension, Cummings said he was "bothered" that some in the crowd cheered him.
APCummings
"Most of us are trying to set some kind of decent example for kids," says Cummings. "What kind of message is that sending?"
In Congress, frustration with professional sports in general, and Major League Baseball in particular, is growing. As they prepared to return to town this week from a month-long August recess, a number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers said the Palmeiro revelations would build momentum for federally mandated drug tests and penalties in pro sports.
"Obviously the current approach on steroids both in professional sports and amateur sports is not working," says Sensenbrenner.
The bill will be the sixth measure introduced in Congress this year to regulate steroids in pro sports. All of the bills have bipartisan support. All would impose much stiffer penalties than the one levied on Palmeiro.
One, backed by Rep. Cliff Stearns (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., would require a half-season suspension for a first-time steroid offense. Four others - including one authored by Sen. Jim Bunning (news, bio, voting record), R-Ky., a Hall of Fame pitcher - would impose a two-year ban for a first-time offense and a lifetime ban for a second.
The measure being authored by Sensenbrenner and Conyers would leave it up to the Justice Department to set penalty guidelines. Sensenbrenner doesn't think Palmeiro's suspension would be adequate. "My gut tells me that type of tap on the wrist would not meet the minimum standard," he says.
Obstacles abound
Fueling momentum for the legislation has been a feeling that Palmeiro's suspension was an affront to Congress. Appearing before a House committee in March, the Orioles slugger swore under oath he had never used steroids. "He got the confidence of all of us," Cummings said. "We thought he was a stand-up guy."
But there are obstacles to passage of a federal steroids testing bill, including Congress' busy fall agenda and internal fights over who should get credit for legislation.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., will push for the various bill sponsors to find "common ground," says his spokesman, Ron Bonjean. Waxman says it would be "pretty ridiculous" to let disputes among various bill sponsors stop the legislation.
"What we end up passing will probably be a blend of several proposals," Sensenbrenner says.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, acknowledges "a reluctance to get involved in something traditionally left to baseball itself," but he argues that "baseball has had an opportunity to straighten up and they have used kid gloves." Echoing the sentiment of many lawmakers, Grassley said: "I think they are afraid of their union."
Greg Bouris, director of communications for the MLB Players Association, argues Palmeiro's suspension shows the current testing system is working. Bouris says the length of Palmeiro's suspension is irrelevant. "It's the outing, the public humiliation that the player is going to face that's going to be the ultimate deterrent."
Even so, he says union president Don Fehr has been visiting teams to discuss the possibility of changing the steroids policy with players. Commissioner Bud Selig has proposed a 50-game suspension for the first offense, 100 games for a second offense and lifetime ban for a third offense.
Members of Congress are skeptical. "I don't have a good feeling about either the baseball owners or the players," says Shays.
Congressman feels support
Cummings says very few of his constituents have complained about his tough stand on Palmeiro. "I've only had one person say, 'Lay off Raffy.' " Some comments have come from "diehard baseball fans" who are worried about the integrity of the games' records, Cummings says. Some have come from African-Americans who wonder "Why is it that a baseball player can commit a (drug) crime and make more money? If a guy in my community of West Baltimore were caught doing it, he'd go to jail," says Cummings.
But the congressman says his biggest supporters are "the soccer moms" who want to make sure athletic role models are worth emulating.
Says Cummings: "They're worried about their kids."
C&P
By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY2 hours, 38 minutes ago
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee plans to unveil a new proposal this week to crack down on steroid use in sports, another sign of the growing determination by Congress to impose tougher testing standards and penalties on pro sports.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., told USA TODAY he's co-authoring the bill with Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record), the top Judiciary Committee Democrat from Michigan. It would put the Justice Department in charge of developing "minimum standards" for testing and penalties. Participation in the program would be voluntary, but Sensenbrenner says there will be "incentives" to encourage pro sports leagues to sign up.
APSensenbrenner
He did not elaborate on what those incentives might be. But in baseball's case the Judiciary Committee could threaten to lift the sport's antitrust exemption.
Lawmakers are returning to Congress this week for the first time since news broke of Baltimore Orioles star Rafael Palmeiro's 10-day suspension last month for steroid use. That has stoked many members' exasperation. "That's called a vacation; that's not a suspension," said Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn.
Palmeiro testified under oath at a House Committee on Government Reform hearing in March that he never used steroids. Committee members and staffers have been examining records of his positive test provided by Major League Baseball to determine whether he could be prosecuted for perjury.
Two members who have seen the records, Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Elijah Cummings, D-Md., say they think perjury charges against Palmeiro are unlikely. "It will be very difficult to prove," Cummings said. But information in the records, Cummings added, would frustrate lawmakers "even further."
The records have not been made public, but Waxman indicated he might push for that. "I don't know for sure, but I generally favor information being made public," he said.
Steroids news hits home
Cummings still lives in the west Baltimore neighborhood where he grew up and, like many natives of the Charm City, considers himself a diehard Baltimore Orioles fan.
But few lawmakers have been more critical of Palmeiro after news last month he tested positive for steroids. When the first baseman returned to the playing field on Aug. 11 after a 10-day suspension, Cummings said he was "bothered" that some in the crowd cheered him.
APCummings
"Most of us are trying to set some kind of decent example for kids," says Cummings. "What kind of message is that sending?"
In Congress, frustration with professional sports in general, and Major League Baseball in particular, is growing. As they prepared to return to town this week from a month-long August recess, a number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers said the Palmeiro revelations would build momentum for federally mandated drug tests and penalties in pro sports.
"Obviously the current approach on steroids both in professional sports and amateur sports is not working," says Sensenbrenner.
The bill will be the sixth measure introduced in Congress this year to regulate steroids in pro sports. All of the bills have bipartisan support. All would impose much stiffer penalties than the one levied on Palmeiro.
One, backed by Rep. Cliff Stearns (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., would require a half-season suspension for a first-time steroid offense. Four others - including one authored by Sen. Jim Bunning (news, bio, voting record), R-Ky., a Hall of Fame pitcher - would impose a two-year ban for a first-time offense and a lifetime ban for a second.
The measure being authored by Sensenbrenner and Conyers would leave it up to the Justice Department to set penalty guidelines. Sensenbrenner doesn't think Palmeiro's suspension would be adequate. "My gut tells me that type of tap on the wrist would not meet the minimum standard," he says.
Obstacles abound
Fueling momentum for the legislation has been a feeling that Palmeiro's suspension was an affront to Congress. Appearing before a House committee in March, the Orioles slugger swore under oath he had never used steroids. "He got the confidence of all of us," Cummings said. "We thought he was a stand-up guy."
But there are obstacles to passage of a federal steroids testing bill, including Congress' busy fall agenda and internal fights over who should get credit for legislation.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., will push for the various bill sponsors to find "common ground," says his spokesman, Ron Bonjean. Waxman says it would be "pretty ridiculous" to let disputes among various bill sponsors stop the legislation.
"What we end up passing will probably be a blend of several proposals," Sensenbrenner says.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, acknowledges "a reluctance to get involved in something traditionally left to baseball itself," but he argues that "baseball has had an opportunity to straighten up and they have used kid gloves." Echoing the sentiment of many lawmakers, Grassley said: "I think they are afraid of their union."
Greg Bouris, director of communications for the MLB Players Association, argues Palmeiro's suspension shows the current testing system is working. Bouris says the length of Palmeiro's suspension is irrelevant. "It's the outing, the public humiliation that the player is going to face that's going to be the ultimate deterrent."
Even so, he says union president Don Fehr has been visiting teams to discuss the possibility of changing the steroids policy with players. Commissioner Bud Selig has proposed a 50-game suspension for the first offense, 100 games for a second offense and lifetime ban for a third offense.
Members of Congress are skeptical. "I don't have a good feeling about either the baseball owners or the players," says Shays.
Congressman feels support
Cummings says very few of his constituents have complained about his tough stand on Palmeiro. "I've only had one person say, 'Lay off Raffy.' " Some comments have come from "diehard baseball fans" who are worried about the integrity of the games' records, Cummings says. Some have come from African-Americans who wonder "Why is it that a baseball player can commit a (drug) crime and make more money? If a guy in my community of West Baltimore were caught doing it, he'd go to jail," says Cummings.
But the congressman says his biggest supporters are "the soccer moms" who want to make sure athletic role models are worth emulating.
Says Cummings: "They're worried about their kids."
