And you thought you had it tough when you had to serve one day of jury duty. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue spent his Wednesday in Washington D.C., called before the Senate Commerce Committee, to discuss two proposed Senate bills that would standardize drug policies across sports. Much of the attention was on Major League Baseball, thanks to the league's slow reaction to installing a weak steroid policy and because a high-profile player, Rafael Palmiero, was caught breaking the rules after emphatically declared to the House Government reform Committee on March 17th while under oath that he never, ever used steroids. While America's Pastime is put through the wringer, all pro sports are nervously sweating as proposed bills are being pushed by the House of Representatives and Senate. Under one of the proposed bills, a first-time offender who fails a test will serve a two-year suspension. A second offense would mean a lifetime ban from sports. "There are some who will say Congress has no business in this issue," said Arizona senator John McCain. Count me as one of the some. Doesn't Congress have anything better to do than regulate a form of entertainment? Last I checked, two hurricanes caused severe damage to Louisiana and Texas. Why don't they dedicate their time to getting help to evacuees and repairing damage. Heck, why don't they investigate why it took FEMA so long to arrive in Louisiana? If they want to fight a war on drugs, why not start with the drug companies? The Federal Drug Association had to pull Vioxx from the market because it was killing those using it. And it wasn't the only prescription drug that was pulled due to health risks. There's also street drugs polluting poor neighborhoods. How about cleaning that up? And if y'all Congressmen find the time, how about balancing the budget, ending homelessness, cleaning the environment, keeping the ban on automatic guns, monitoring homeland security, improving education, preserving endangered species, funding cures for cancer and AIDS, and the several dozen other issues that you've dragged your feet on? Yes, I want an even playing field void of cheaters. But it should be a league's responsibility to do what needs to be done to keep sports fair. The NFL has been a leader in policing themselves with one of the best drug policies in pro sports. The current policy works. And in time the other leagues will come to an agreement with the players unions on drug policies that will make pro sports clean and fair. They can accomplish this without the government getting involved. If politicians want to get involved in pro sports, go to the games. The Nationals and Redskins play nearby. Randolph Charlotin can be contacted at [email protected]