Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today cosponsored legislation that would reform the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in response to findings of systemic abuse. Introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the Empowering Olympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2019 would help improve oversight at the United States Olympic Committee so that athletes are better protected against sexual abuse and intimidation.
“Our nation’s talented young men and women striving to achieve their Olympic dreams must feel safe, protected and valued within the Olympic movement. That’s why I’m proudly cosponsoring this important bipartisan legislation to provide more congressional oversight, prioritize the health and safety of athletes, and hold the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee accountable for turning a blind eye to sweeping and systematic abuse within the organization. We must protect our country’s athletes from any further trauma.”
In addition to Senators Cortez Masto, Moran and Blumenthal, U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) also cosponsored this legislation.
BACKGROUND
The bipartisan Empowering Olympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2019 is the culmination of an 18-month investigation jointly conducted by Senators Moran and Blumenthal and supplemented by the active participation of Senator Cortez Masto. The investigation included four subcommittee hearings, interviews with Olympic athletes and survivors, and the retrieval of 70,000 pages of documents.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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