WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy hearing titled “WADA Shame: Swimming in Denial Over Chinese Doping,” Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) condemned the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for failing to enforce anti-doping standards and compromising the integrity of athletic competition. Sen. Cruz criticized WADA for allowing Chinese athletes who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs to compete in the Olympics without consequence.

Sen. Cruz called out WADA’s ongoing lack of transparency, citing the organization’s refusal to provide answers to a bipartisan letter he sent alongside Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). Sen. Cruz urged the continued withholding of American taxpayer funds from WADA until they return to their core mission of ensuring clean competition and providing full accountability for doping violations.

Here are Sen. Cruz’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you, Chairman Blackburn, for convening this hearing today.

“Sports are more than ‘just a game’.  They are a critical part of our culture that teach valuable life lessons such as teamwork, discipline, communication, respect, and perseverance. 

“Sports are also a cultural unifier that brings Americans together to cheer on Team USA at the Olympics. 

“The Olympics provide some of the most iconic moments in sports history.  Who can forget the legendary 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ when Team USA Hockey brought home the gold and triumphed over the Soviet Union? 

“It’s one reason why Team USA athletes are often considered our cultural heroes who inspire the next generation. 

“But our athletes didn’t just wake up one day being able to compete at an elite level.  They earned it from the blood, sweat, and tears produced from countless years of training and sacrifice to pursue their dreams of earning that coveted title ‘Olympian’. 

“To pursue that dream with confidence, sports require a culture of integrity built upon fair competition and following the rules of play. 

“When an athlete cheats, it undermines the value and existence of sports. Cheating can take many forms, including the use of performance enhancing drugs (known as ‘doping’) that give an athlete an unfair edge over their opponents.  Doping should have no place in sports.

“It’s why 190 countries, including the United States, support the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) mission to ‘lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport’ which is mandatory for participation in the Olympic movement. 

“In fact, the United States withheld $3.6 million of taxpayer funding in dues for WADA in fiscal year 2024 (the most of any other country) to monitor and enforce against doping in sports, including at the Olympics. The next highest contributor is Japan who spends $1.5 million per year – less than half what the U.S. pays. 

“Sadly, confidence in WADA is at an all-time low.

“Recent news reports revealed that WADA didn’t enforce the doping rules to block 23 Chinese swimmers, who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, from competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

“WADA’s decision to not enforce these rules may very well have impacted the Olympic swimming competition results for Ms. McLaughlin, one of our witnesses today, who competed against these athletes in Tokyo.

“This not only harms Team USA but also undermines the integrity of the doping free sport mission that WADA claims to uphold.

“In advance of the 2024 Paris Games, Senator Cantwell and I jointly sent a letter to WADA asking for documents regarding the 2021 doping scandal.  We also called for action to guarantee fair competition for Team USA during the upcoming Paris Olympics. 

“WADA not only refused to provide answers to this inquiry (and other government inquiries) but allowed the same Chinese athletes to compete again in the 2024 Paris Olympic games without any consequence.

“Shortly thereafter, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Salt Lake City, Utah would be the host city for the 2034 Winter Olympic games.  News reports indicated that the IOC (likely in cooperation with WADA) took an unprecedented move to demand that Utah officials sign a contract to recognize the ‘supreme authority of the [WADA]’ in order to host the Olympic games in Salt Lake City. 

“It is shocking that WADA – who we rely on to ensure fair competition – not only refuses to be transparent and accountable, but appears to have made unfair demands of a U.S. city to stymie legitimate federal investigations into its role in the swimmer doping scandal.

“Last year, I called for withholding U.S. taxpayer dollars from WADA until it returns to its mission and is transparent about its handling of the swimmer doping scandal.  I intend to continue this call.  I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on what we can do to ensure WADA is held accountable and our athletes are protected.”

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