Hearings to examine the World Anti Doping Agency, focusing on swimming in denial over Chinese doping.
Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security
2025-06-17
Source: Congress.gov
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Committee will come to order. It is rare that these things start on time, but we are starting on time. And I want to thank each and every one of you. Thank you to our witnesses for being here today. Nearly a year ago, I held a press conference with a bicameral, bipartisan group of colleagues demanding answers as to why the World Anti-Doping Agency betrayed its mission and allowed 23 Chinese swimmers to get away with doping. Unfortunately, almost a year after the explosive New York Times report exposing the scandal, WADA has failed to provide answers. Instead, all that they have provided are threats, stonewalling, and intimidation. My message remains the same. My colleagues and I will not be threatened or silenced for promoting fair play and advocating for clean sport. Here are the facts. In 2021, credible allegations emerged that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance just months before the Tokyo Olympics. What did WADA do? Instead of launching a thorough investigation, they turned a blind eye. They accepted a deeply questionable explanation and allowed these athletes to go ahead and compete. Many of them went on to win medals. This wasn't just a lapse in judgment. It was a cover-up. Just as disturbing is WADA's effort to use our own Olympic bids as leverage. In response to legitimate U.S. Senate concerns, WADA and the IOC threatened our country's bid to host the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
And now we have reports of secretive contract arrangements and backroom deals between WADA, the IOC, and parties connected to Salt Lake City's bill. All while WADA's own failures go unaddressed, this is nothing short of a scandal, and it actually strikes at the heart of the Olympic spirit. Fast forward to today, and the World Anti-Doping Agency refused to appear before this committee and answer our questions. Now, what does refusal to engage on this issue or work in good faith with the U.S. leads me to one question. What exactly are they hiding? Let me remind everyone, the U.S. is WADA's largest financial contributor. American taxpayers help fund this agency, and yet WADA has treated our concerns with disdain, and our athletes have been treated with disrespect. Their pattern of inconsistent enforcement doesn't stop with China. From Russia's long history of state-sponsored doping to weak penalties for other nations, WADA has sent a dangerous message. If you are an authoritarian regime with a willingness to bribe and cheat, the rules don't apply to you, and our door is open. As we look forward to the 2028 Summer Games in LA and the 34 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the stakes could not be higher. These games must not be tainted by the same corruptions and cover-ups. American athletes who compete with integrity deserve to know that their competitors are held to the exact same high standards.
We've heard from athletes who are tired. Tired of watching cheaters take the podium. tired of the mental and emotional strain, and tired of institutions who refuse to protect them. Their voices matter, and today we're listening. This hearing is about accountability. It is about ensuring that WADA no longer shields corrupt regimes from consequences. It is about making sure our athletes can compete fairly and safely on the world stage. WADA is not above the law, and this committee will not rest until the agency is reformed and held responsible for its failures. I now recognize the ranking member.
Thank you, Chair Blackburn, for organizing today's hearing. This is our first hearing for the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection Technology and Data Privacy in the 119th Congress. With that in mind, I wanted to share how much I look forward to working with you, Madam Chair, on so many of the important issues our subcommittee oversees, safeguarding American sense of data, promoting transparency and innovation in the artificial intelligence world, elevating Team USA and helping collegiate athletics earn fair compensation, and protecting the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission from overly influential efforts from the executive branch and making sure that their Senate-confirmed commissioners who have been fired are either swiftly reinstated or replaced.
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