EXCLUSIVE — Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn is taking aim at Russian doping and the World Anti-Doping Agency with a new bill.
The bill set for introduction by Blackburn, first shared to the Washington Examiner, would demand that the United States receive a refund from the World Anti-Doping Agency unless it provides the U.S. with transparency.
<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1644414574535,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"00000169-6d15-db52-af7b-7ddddd690000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1644414574535,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"00000169-6d15-db52-af7b-7ddddd690000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_44414580", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"952233"} }); ","_id":"0000017e-debf-dfae-a37e-feff1bdd0000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video Embed
Since its creation by the International Olympic Committee in 1999, the U.S. has been the largest government funder of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Doping has long been a problem among Russian athletes. At the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Tuesday, a medal ceremony for a figure skating event that was dominated by a Russian athlete was canceled due to a possible doping problem. Doping led to Russia being completely banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics, but the agency reinstated Russia later that year.
MCCONNELL DISMISSES TRUMP CRITICISM, SAYING IT’S NO THREAT TO HIS LEADERSHIP STYLE
“Russia’s practice of doping athletes has thrived under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) weak leadership,” Blackburn said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “The United States is the largest financial backer of WADA, yet has little power over the agency’s decision making. This legislation aims to stop American tax dollars from funding Russia’s illegal doping schemes.”
Dubbed the “Restoring Confidence to the World Anti-Doping Agency Act,” the bill would direct the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to “use all available tools to ensure” that the World Anti-Doping Agency maintains proper conflict-of-interest standards and standards to counter state-sponsored doping by the Russian Federation and that independent athletes or their representatives have voting positions on the executive committee. It also requires that the U.S. has at least one seat on the Executive Committee.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
It then directs the U.S. agencies to determine whether the World Anti-Doping Agency has a “credible and independent governance model that provides for fair representation of the United States,” in addition to whether the other standards outlined in the bill are implemented.
If there is no U.S. representation on the Executive Committee, it allows the U.S. to appeal for a refund of dues.
Read the full bill below:
<mediadc-iframe data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1644414343677,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"00000169-6d15-db52-af7b-7ddddd690000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1644414343677,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"00000169-6d15-db52-af7b-7ddddd690000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"iFrameEmbedCode":"","_id":"0000017e-debb-dd76-a5fe-febf8c1a0002","_type":"00000161-b425-d761-a563-f7e77e270000"}”>iFrame Object
