T. Gorton: “a small but important element of the Omnibus appropriations measure is the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act Amendments of…”

“a small but important element of the Omnibus appropriations measure is the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act Amendments of 1998, and more specifically, a provision within this Act that recognizes that Washington state's claim to the name ``Olympic'' is both first in time, and first in right over the claim of the United States Olympic Committee. Vital geographic features that dominate and define the State of Washington, Mount Olympus in the Olympic Mountain range, within the Olympic National Forest on the massive Olympic Peninsula, were named long before Congress chartered the USOC and permitted it to use the word ``Olympic'' to raise money to support the Olympic games and encourage the USOC's activities. In an opinion interpreting the current statute, the United States Supreme Court noted that it was fair for Congress to allow the USOC to receive the benefit of its efforts to promote and distinguish the word ``Olympic.'' In the same vein, however, where the use of the word ``Olympic'' has geographical significance that pre-dates and is independent of the USOC, it is only fair that the USOC not be able to interfere with this use. Although there are relatively few instances in which the USOC, crying ``mine, mine, mine,'' has gone after any of the thousands of businesses in Washington state that use the word ``Olympic,'' the attitude that the USOC has displayed in these few instances demands correction.”