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Selig, Fehr To Testify In Congress

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The Associated Press

Published: January 15, 2008

WASHINGTON - Bud Selig and Donald Fehr return to Capitol Hill today, three years after a theatrical hearing where the baseball commissioner and players' union head were chastised for what lawmakers called a lax steroids policy.

Much has changed since then, including a toughening of the sport's drug-testing rules and penalties. Allegations about players' use of performance-enhancing drugs still hound baseball, however, especially since Roger Clemens was named last month in former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's report on the steroids era.

Mitchell will testify first before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, appearing alone, followed by Selig and Fehr, side by side. Lawmakers can be expected to press all three on recommendations in the Mitchell Report, including a call for the major leagues to bring in an outside antidoping test agency.

"The aim is to get the report straight from the horse's mouth, Sen. Mitchell," Rep. Tom Davis, who chaired the panel in 2005 and is now the ranking minority member, said Monday.

"We're going to make news tomorrow. I don't think this is going to just be the stale same-old, same-old. I can't say anything else. There will be some additional things coming out of this. And, of course, we'll hear from Clemens next month."

Clemens' lawyer met with committee staffers Monday to begin discussing under what format the seven-time Cy Young Award winner might answer questions before testifying under oath next month. The committee wants the witnesses to take depositions.

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