WASHINGTON, March 13 - The Republican and Democratic leaders of a House committee vowed on Sunday to press for sworn public testimony this week from major league baseball players who may have used steroids. The pronouncements appeared to dash hopes by the players' lawyers that they could avoid testifying before Congress.þþThe panel's Republican chairman, Representative Tom Davis of Virginia, also suggested that a failure by team owners to cooperate in the investigation by the House Government Reform Committee could threaten the sport's 83-year-old antitrust exemption, as well as a variety of federal tax breaks.þþÿThey not only enjoy antitrust exemptions, they also enjoy a lot of tax exemptions,ÿ Davis said on NBC's ÿMeet the Press,ÿ adding that the committee would be ready to issue contempt citations against the subpoenaed players if they failed to show up for the hearing on Thursday, which could result in jail terms.þþÿThese people are not above the law,ÿ he said. ÿYou know, they may fly in private planes and make millions of dollars and be on baseball cards, but a subpoena is exactly what it says it is. They have to appear.ÿþþThe committee has issued subpoenas to several of baseball's biggest stars, including Jason Giambi, Sammy Sosa and the former major league player Mark McGwire, as well as Curt Schilling and Frank Thomas, two players who have been outspoken in criticizing the use of steroids in baseball. Some of those facing allegations of steroid use have said they would not comply with the subpoenas unless the questioning was sharply limited.þþThe ranking Democrat on the committee, Henry A. Waxman of California, also appearing on ÿMeet the Press,ÿ joined Davis in criticizing baseball for having failed to do enough to stem steroid use, despite the sport's claim that it had toughened its ban on steroids and stepped up its policy of monitoring players for steroid use.þþÿBaseball says they have a new policy,ÿ Waxman said. ÿWell, I've heard through the grapevine that some people think you have to be an idiot to ever get caught under that new policy.ÿ þþHe added: ÿWhat strikes me is that baseball doesn't want to investigate it and they don't want us to investigate it. It seems to me they had a 'don't know, don't tell' policy for the last 10 years.ÿþþStan Brand, a Washington lawyer for Major League Baseball, said in a telephone interview on Sunday that Davis or Waxman, or possibly both, had agreed to meet with Rob Manfred, the chief labor executive for baseball, and someone from the players union to discuss the subpoenas. þþBrand said that Giambi and perhaps some of the other players subpoenaed had been negotiating in an effort to be excused, acting through their own lawyers or the players union. þþDavis insisted that his committee had no interest in seeing players face criminal charges for steroid use, and he and Waxman suggested that their committee might be willing to arrange immunity for some players in exchange for their testimony. Such a deal would bar prosecutors from using their testimony against them.þþÿWe've already started checking it out with the Justice Department,ÿ Waxman said. ÿThe purpose of this hearing is not to go after any individual players or to put them in legal jeopardy. The purpose of this hearing is to get the facts. You can't have a hearing about baseball without the players being involved.ÿþþþ
Source: NY Times
