House Panel's Steroid Inquiry to Play Before a Sellout Crowd
WASHINGTON — In recent years, the House of Representatives has debated and investigated two wars, a prison abuse scandal and whether prescription drugs should be available through the Internet. But in intensity of public interest, none of those hearings have topped the star-powered one planned this week on steroid use in professional baseball.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to appear on Capitol Hill on Thursday to answer questions about why and how the national pastime became so pumped on steroids. And if Congress members have their way, half a dozen of the sport's best-known players will be asked under oath whether their athletic achievements were artificially enhanced.
Among them, however, will not be Jason Giambi, the New York Yankee slugger who reportedly acknowledged using steroids in 2003 grand jury testimony in a federal investigation.
The House Committee on Government Reform, which subpoenaed Giambi and six other current or former players last week, excused him Tuesday from appearing at the hearing because of his involvement in the investigation into alleged steroid distribution by people associated with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, a nutritional supplement firm.
"From the outset, we have said that we in no way wanted our inquiry to impede or complicate any ongoing investigations by law enforcement," Reps. Thomas M. Davis (R-Va.) and Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles), the committee's leaders, said in a statement. "Therefore, upon hearing today from the Justice Department that Mr. Giambi's appearance could do just that, we have decided to excuse him from testifying."
However, the congressmen said the other six -- Curt Schilling, Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Thomas, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa -- "will be expected to comply with the subpoenas" and show up to face what is likely to be several dozen scolding legislators and wall-to-wall television coverage.
Intensive discussions continued Tuesday night as baseball lawyers sought to get more players excused, though a baseball official said it appeared some of the six would have to appear.
Canseco, whose recent book, "Juiced," accused many on the witness list of using steroids, has agreed to testify. McGwire was believed to be in Washington on Tuesday, though it remained unclear whether the retired slugging star, who hit a then-record 70 home runs in 1998, would also testify.
