GaryMrMets
11-17-2005, 11:48 PM
Lower house votes against federal regulation of boxing
By DEVLIN BARRETT
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - The lower house of Congress voted against forming a U.S. Boxing Commission to regulate the sport on Wednesday, with critics rejecting the measure as a misguided effort to expand the federal government to manage a part of the entertainment industry.
The House of Representatives voted 233-190 against the bill, with most Republicans opposing the measure and most Democrats voting for it.
The vote came a day after a Major League Baseball and its players union agreed to new doping regulations, difusing congressional efforts to impose government regulations on that sport.
Boxing is regulated in the United States by different rules in all 50 states. Nevada and New Jersey, which have casinos in resort cities like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, are two of the primary venues for major prize fights.
``This is a big government bill. It creates a new federal agency that provides for more regulation and is not self-financing,'' said Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner.
The Senate in May approved a similar bill offered by Republican Sen. John McCain.
Boxing has suffered from waning popularity in the United States in recent years, hurt in part by legal tussles between promoters, sanctioning bodies and the fighters themselves.
The House bill from Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns, would have created a three-person U.S. Boxing Commission, appointed by the president to three-year terms, funded by licensing fees imposed on those who make their living in the fight business.
Proponents argued a U.S. commission would solve a range of problems, including fighters risking their health to fight in states with weak regulations, a lack of financial support for run-down boxers, and unscrupulous managers.
Rep. Tom Osborne, a former college gridiron football coach, said it was long past time to address the centuries-old lack of proper safety controls in boxing.
``How many people have to die, how many people have to have their brains scrambled? ... We wouldn't do this with animals,'' he said.
On the Net:
Information on the bill, H.R. 1065, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/
American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians: http://www.aaprp.org
11/16/05 18:14 EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
By DEVLIN BARRETT
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - The lower house of Congress voted against forming a U.S. Boxing Commission to regulate the sport on Wednesday, with critics rejecting the measure as a misguided effort to expand the federal government to manage a part of the entertainment industry.
The House of Representatives voted 233-190 against the bill, with most Republicans opposing the measure and most Democrats voting for it.
The vote came a day after a Major League Baseball and its players union agreed to new doping regulations, difusing congressional efforts to impose government regulations on that sport.
Boxing is regulated in the United States by different rules in all 50 states. Nevada and New Jersey, which have casinos in resort cities like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, are two of the primary venues for major prize fights.
``This is a big government bill. It creates a new federal agency that provides for more regulation and is not self-financing,'' said Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner.
The Senate in May approved a similar bill offered by Republican Sen. John McCain.
Boxing has suffered from waning popularity in the United States in recent years, hurt in part by legal tussles between promoters, sanctioning bodies and the fighters themselves.
The House bill from Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns, would have created a three-person U.S. Boxing Commission, appointed by the president to three-year terms, funded by licensing fees imposed on those who make their living in the fight business.
Proponents argued a U.S. commission would solve a range of problems, including fighters risking their health to fight in states with weak regulations, a lack of financial support for run-down boxers, and unscrupulous managers.
Rep. Tom Osborne, a former college gridiron football coach, said it was long past time to address the centuries-old lack of proper safety controls in boxing.
``How many people have to die, how many people have to have their brains scrambled? ... We wouldn't do this with animals,'' he said.
On the Net:
Information on the bill, H.R. 1065, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/
American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians: http://www.aaprp.org
11/16/05 18:14 EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.