Bonds Case Prompts Call for New Baseball Hearings in Congress
November 20th, 2007 Posted by: Dr. Cox
Saying he is “concerned that Major League Baseball does not have in place a sound policy addressing steroid use in the sport,” Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) is calling for new hearings in the wake of home-run king Barry Bonds’ recent indictment on perjury charges, AFP reported Sept. 18.
Stearns and Rep. Bob Rush (D-Ill.), the ranking members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, noted an upcoming report on steroid use in baseball by former Sen. George Mitchell in calling for more hearings in Congress. “I believe it’s time we get a formal update on what progress is being made to eradicate steroids from all sports,” said Rush.
The lawmakers are considering calling baseball commissioner Bud Selig and other top baseball officials to testify. A series of similar hearings in 2003 provided a big black eye to the sport, tarnishing the reputations of sluggers like Mark McGuire and Rafael Palmiero.