Steroid Testimony: Questioning by Congressman Dan Burton

Mr. BURTON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t have a question. I just would like to say it’s evident from this hearing that a lot more needs to be done to make sure that not only the baseball world, but the entire world of athletics that these kind of drugs need to be outlawed. And I would like to say I understand the Commissioner has started to move in the right direction, but evidently hasn’t moved fast enough.

Rather than me questioning the players who are here today or pound on this subject anymore, I would like to say that the message is loud and clear from this committee and from the Congress of the United States, we want this stuff stopped in all athletics, not just baseball. And I think you can tell by the tone of my colleagues up here, if it doesn’t stop, you are going to end up with something that you don’t want in the world of athletics, and that is the Congress of the United States doing what you don’t do.

So do the job. Baseball players, whom I have respected since I was kid, go out there and tell the kids even if you use steroids, tell them this is not the right thing to do. Tell them about the people who lost their kids because of misuse of steroids. If you preach the Gospel, and if the baseball Commissioner and everybody in baseball gets the word out, this will change. You won’t have to have Congress legislating. You will get the job done.

Do the job so we don’t have to. And I hope this message goes out loud and clear in every athletic endeavor, not just in baseball. If it does in this hearing, Mr. Chairman, because of you and Mr. Waxman, it will be of great benefit to all sports.