Sheila Jackson Lee: “I introduced this bill, as I said, with Mr. Burgess of Texas because the widespread use of performance- enhancing…”

“I introduced this bill, as I said, with Mr. Burgess of Texas because the widespread use of performance- enhancing substances had come to light in recent years, harming athletes and fans alike. Clean U.S. athletes and sports organizations that participate in these competitions, as well as their U.S. sponsors, are denied their due recognition and economic rewards. Young people who have worked all of their lives for this miraculous and important time in their lives and their fans lose when the legitimacy and integrity of the competition they enjoy are debased. {time} 1545 In recent years, there have been numerous allegations and instances of doping by professional and amateur athletes. The Summer and Winter Olympic Games, in particular, have been plagued with doping scandals, which has left an indelible stain on the reputation of those major international sports events. The infamous Russian doping scandal during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics is one notable example of the corruption and fraud that has damaged the integrity of sports competitions. After the Sochi games, whistleblowers Yuliya Stepanova, a former Russian track star, and her husband, Vitaly Stepanov, a former employee at the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, exposed the Russian Government's vast state-sponsored doping system, which subsequently led to further revelations by Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the chemist who ran the Russian anti-doping laboratory. Mr. Speaker, they simply could not take it anymore. Mr.…”