Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) bill aimed at holding the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accountable passed through the Senate Committee on Commerce by a voice vote on Wednesday.
Blackburn’s Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act would permanently provide the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) the authority to withhold membership dues to WADA if the organization fails to ensure athletes are competing in drug-free Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The bill, filed in the Senate as S.233, would give the U.S. greater leverage to push for governance reforms in WADA, promote fair representation of American and independent athletes, and hold the agency financially accountable if reforms are not implemented.
The Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act would specifically empower the ONDCP to withhold U.S. dues – WADA’s largest funding source – if the agency fails to implement reforms.
Blackburn filed the bill after reporting revealed that Chinese authorities secretly cleared over two dozen swimmers who tested positive for banned substances before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, allowing many to compete and win medals, including gold.
While WADA was aware that the swimmers tested positive for banned substances, it did not take any action to enforce its rules.
Similar cases occurred in 2022, involving Chinese swimmers who later competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Since the Chinese doping scandal came to light, WADA has done everything it can to intimidate advocates for fair play and stonewall Congress,” Blackburn said in a statement on Wednesday.
“With the Commerce Committee passing my bipartisan Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act, we have sent a message to WADA that accountability and oversight are coming. We won’t be silenced by WADA or any international organization that tries to strong arm the United States in our mission to promote fair play in sports,” Blackburn added.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, voiced his support for the bill, saying, “American athletes have every right to be concerned about cheating in the upcoming Olympic Games, given the World Anti-Doping Agency’s failure to protect fair play.”
“WADA should not receive a dime of American taxpayer dollars until it provides full transparency regarding past investigations and takes meaningful steps to preserve the integrity of competition,” Cruz added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Sen. Marsha Blackburn” by Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
