December 19, 2007
Congress Grandstands
I thought the whole idea behind the Mitchell investigation was to keep Congress from holding more investigations. I guess our representatives can't resist a big media event.
Meanwhile, a Senate Democrat and a Republican senator yesterday announced legislation to limit access to performance-enhancing substances and stiffen criminal penalties for abuse and distribution.
Central to that effort is cracking down on the abuse of human growth hormone, a drug for which there is no reliable test, said its sponsor.
The bill by Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York would classify hGH as a "Schedule III" substance, equating it legally with anabolic steroids and bringing it under the watch of the Drug Enforcement Administration. That would mean that possession of hGH, a naturally occurring hormone approved by the FDA for treatment of some medical conditions, would be illegal without a current, valid prescription.
I don't quite see how this helps, since Federal authorities don't go after users. If the FBI arrested Mark McGwire in the early 1990s when they arrested his supplier, that might have sent a message. Why have a law that's not enforced?
Posted by David Pinto at
08:49 AM
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I don't know that the proposed law would do any good, but more Congressional hearings will almost certainly be a positive. Don't you remember the last hearings, with Palmeiro's finger-wagging, McGwire's mealy-mouthed non-denial, and Sosa's "no speak Inglese" routine?
Beforehand, members of that committee were almost universally derided for pulling a publicity stunt that would have no practical effect. Instead, the hearing was a significant turning point in the steroid saga. I think more hearings will do a lot to ensure that MLB will actually follow through on Mitchell's recommendations.
Besides, I really want to see Rocket testify under oath.
"I guess our representatives can't resist a big media event."
David, you may need a backhoe to get your tongue out of your cheek with that one.
Good to hear it's bi-partisan lunacy at least, there may be hope for us all yet
This actually makes a huge difference. If this bill is passed, then the stupid things that reporters have been saying about HGH being illegal for personal use will actually be true, and I'll have to stop correcting them.
It's interesting how the War on Drugs has progressed over the years; we've gone from fighting against addictive drugs that people overdose and kill themselves with, stealing and killing to get, etc, to fighting against drugs that helps people to heal faster because we're afraid that it will help sports players play better and ruin our records.
