'Returning Power To Those Who Abused It': Lori Trahan Shreds SCORE Act, Demands More Work On It

During a House Energy Committee meeting to markup the SCORE Act, Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) spoke about provisions of the legislation.

Transcript

00:00Ms. Trahan, you're recognized for three minutes.

00:03Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:05First, I appreciate you taking the time yesterday to meet with me to discuss the SCORE Act

00:10and to hear the concerns that I, along with many of my colleagues, have about this legislation.

00:16As currently drafted, the SCORE Act would grant sweeping power to the NCAA and athletic conferences,

00:23power that comes at the expense of the very athletes who make college sports possible.

00:28Even more concerning, when those organizations overreach or abuse that power,

00:34and history has shown that they surely will, this bill would shield them entirely.

00:41From lawsuits, from state laws, and from enforcement by the FTC or state attorneys general.

00:48At the same time, the bill is silent on some of the most urgent challenges facing college athletes today.

00:54It offers no relief to the thousands of women who are denied roster spots because schools exploit loopholes in Title IX.

01:02It provides no solution for international athletes who are barred from pursuing the same NIL opportunities

01:07as their American teammates simply because of their visa status.

01:11And it falls short in protecting athletes who suffer long-term injuries,

01:15offering only limited medical coverage that fails to address the physical, mental, and financial consequences

01:21they face years after their athletic careers end.

01:26Now, Mr. Chairman, it's no secret that I am a no on this bill in its current form,

01:30but that doesn't mean that we can't find common ground.

01:33In fact, there are provisions in the SCORE Act that I support, like the clear definition of agents

01:39and new guardrails against their ability to enter athletes into predatory NIL contracts.

01:46That's a constructive improvement, and it should serve as the foundation for serious bipartisan negotiations

01:51on a bill that stabilizes college sports.

01:54But we can't do that by returning power to those who abused it for a century.

02:00We should do it by finally guaranteeing college athletes the rights, protections, and seats at the table

02:07that they've been denied for far too long.

02:10If that's the direction we take, I believe you'll find significant support from our side of the aisle.

02:16I thank the chair for yielding and for his willingness to work together on this bill,

02:21and I yield back the balance of my time.