House Dem: Oversight Committee Agrees to Delve Into NFL's Domestic Violence Scandal

Famous for its investigations under chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) ranging from Benghazi to the IRS scandal, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will next probe domestic violence in the National Football League, according to one of its members.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said she asked Issa and ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings (Md.) to hold a hearing after revelations that heightened concern about how the NFL handles domestic violence cases, including the recent Ray Rice revelations.

“The NFL’s failure to appropriately respond to crimes and misconduct has harmed the prestige of the game and the millions of Americans who look up to these players as role models,” Speier said in a statement. “The NFL’s gross mishandling of the deplorable actions of Ray Rice is the latest example of how this insulated institution has incompetently dealt with serious issues.”

Speier said the investigation should go beyond domestic violence in the league, as well.

“This committee must also investigate the League’s tolerance of performance enhancing drugs, the impact of traumatic brain injury on players later in life, and the tax-exempt status the NFL enjoys thanks to a loophole congress created in the ‘60s,” she said.

“I look forward to working with Chairman Issa and Ranking Member Cummings to shed light on the NFL’s internal policies and processes, which have been largely inconsistent and opaque, and identifying areas where reform is needed.”

The committee has already been delving into human growth hormone testing, with Issa and Cummings meeting with the NFL Players Association and league officials over the past year.

Last week, the players approved an NFL proposal that tests for HGH.

“I applaud the Players Association and NFL for taking a major step in the right direction towards implementing HGH testing for the first time,” Cummings said in a statement Saturday. “Testing for HGH will help prevent injuries on the field and send a clear message to young athletes that HGH will not be tolerated at the game’s highest levels. I encourage the Players Association and the NFL to iron out the remaining details so that HGH testing can begin immediately.”