U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) will preside over a
U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing today "called to
evaluate the tax-exempt status of the IOC" in the U.S.,
according to Amy Shipley of the WASHINGTON POST. The
hearing will "likely have an impact on the introduction of
legislation" by U.S. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), who is
working on a bill that could "strip the IOC of its tax-
exempt status" in the U.S., give the USOC -- not the IOC --
control of U.S. TV rights fees and limit "the deductibility
of sponsors' and others' IOC fees and contributions."
Meanwhile, U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rick Lazio (R-
NY) introduced a bill Tuesday night proposing that American
corporations "be prohibited from providing financial support
to the IOC unless the IOC adopts the reforms" proposed by
the Mitchell Commission on March 1. Shipley: "It is unclear
how McCain ... will handle the hearing." Former U.S.
Senator George Mitchell and members of his ethics panel will
testify first, followed by USOC President Bill Hybl, U.S.
IOC members Anita DeFrantz and James Easton and then "Lord
of the Rings" author Andrew Jennings (WASH. POST, 4/14).
