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By A.J. Perez, USA TODAY
Criticized for holding hearings on performance-enhancing drugs in sports just for the purposes of grandstanding, Congress is on the verge of passing legislation that might have stagnated had the hearings not occurred.
"I think it would have passed eventually, but the hearings sped things up," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who has co-sponsored a bill with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that would put human growth hormone on par with steroids as a controlled substance. "It certainly focused the issue."
Schumer said legislation could pass in the Senate by unanimous consent as soon as today. He then expects the bill to pass through the House and be signed into law by President Bush.
"There's very little opposition to this bill," Schumer said. "That doesn't happen too much these days."
HGH was a focal point of last month's House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing that featured seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, who has alleged he injected Clemens with HGH and steroids. While denying he used either steroids or HGH, Clemens said his wife, Debbie Clemens, had used the synthetic hormone that stimulates growth and cell production.
Congress poised to pass bill cracking down on HGH - USATODAY.com
Criticized for holding hearings on performance-enhancing drugs in sports just for the purposes of grandstanding, Congress is on the verge of passing legislation that might have stagnated had the hearings not occurred.
"I think it would have passed eventually, but the hearings sped things up," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who has co-sponsored a bill with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that would put human growth hormone on par with steroids as a controlled substance. "It certainly focused the issue."
Schumer said legislation could pass in the Senate by unanimous consent as soon as today. He then expects the bill to pass through the House and be signed into law by President Bush.
"There's very little opposition to this bill," Schumer said. "That doesn't happen too much these days."
HGH was a focal point of last month's House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing that featured seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, who has alleged he injected Clemens with HGH and steroids. While denying he used either steroids or HGH, Clemens said his wife, Debbie Clemens, had used the synthetic hormone that stimulates growth and cell production.
Congress poised to pass bill cracking down on HGH - USATODAY.com
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