Congress to decide by end of week

By The Associated Press

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 11:46 AM EST

WASHINGTON - Roger Clemens should know by the end of the week if Congress will ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the star pitcher or his accuser made false statements under oath.
Clemens' lawyer says they knew long ago that is where things probably were headed.

The majority and minority sides of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee met Tuesday to discuss how to proceed on the Clemens matter.

“I can't say anything about discussions today,” Phil Schiliro, chief of staff for committee chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “Our goal is a decision this week.”

Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis of Virginia spoke with each other during a committee hearing about missing White House e-mails.

When that hearing ended, Davis headed for the majority side's offices, rather than the minority side, as is customary.

Keith Ausbrook, Republican general counsel for the committee, wrote: “We will be consulting with the Democrats on what to do next. I cannot comment on any specific meeting or step.”

At issue is whether Congress might have been lied to by Clemens or his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee.

McNamee says he injected the seven-time Cy Young Award winner with steroids and human growth hormone at least 16 times between 1998 and 2001.

Clemens denies ever taking performance-enhancing drugs. Both men stuck to their stories under oath at depositions with committee lawyers and then at a Feb. 13 hearing, where the questioning by representatives ran mostly along party lines.

Congress got involved after hearing Clemens vigorously and repeatedly deny McNamee's allegations after they appeared in former Senate majority leader George Mitchell's report on drug use in baseball.

Congress may decide to ask the Justice Department to investigate one man, both - or neither.

And then the Justice Department can opt to open an inquiry - or drop the matter altogether.

While one House committee is still trying to decide what to do about Clemens and McNamee, another is set to haul officials from Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, NHL, the NCAA and the Olympics up to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to discuss drugs in sports.

Commissioners Bud Selig, Roger Goodell, David Stern and Gary Bettman, along with their leagues' union heads, are among the witnesses slated to testify before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Jim Scherr, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart, NCAA president Myles Brand and National Thoroughbred Racing Association CEO Alexander Waldrop are also on the witness list.

The subcommittee chairman, Illinois Democrat Bobby Rush, plans to introduce legislation.

In 2005, after a series of hearings on steroids in sports by various House and Senate committees, several bills were introduced, but all fell by the wayside.

The Citizens' Say

Post your comment - click here

There are No comments posted.

REGISTRATION IS FREE.
Registered users sign in here:
*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login?
(requires cookies)
 
Unregistered users can register here:

Do not use usernames or passwords from your financial accounts!

Note: Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required!

*Create a Member ID:
*Choose a password:
*Re-enter password:
*E-mail Address:
*Year of Birth:
 

(children under 13 cannot register)

First Name:
Last Name:
Company:
Home Phone:
Business Phone:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
 
E-Citizen
E-Edition
Wheels Etc.
Find a vehicle
Hot Jobs
Find a Job
Homes Etc.
Find a Home
TV Week
Find a program
Search Classifieds
Find, Buy
Place a Classified Ad
Sell
Skaneateles Journal
The Journal
New! Best Bridal
Here comes the bride. . .
Liven Up the Holidays
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-laaaaaa
Logo HereNew! Off the Menu
Good Eatin'!
Newspaper Ads
See it again
CNY Boats Etc.
Achors aweigh!
New! School Project
A breakdown of the new school project.
Sections
Special Sections

Top Jobs

The Citizen Copyright ©2009
A division of Lee Publications, Inc.
25 Dill Street
Auburn, NY 13021

Contact Us

Add to My Yahoo!