After Sterling, Race Baiters Seek Other Targets. Redskins Are Next, Who Will Then Find Themselves In The Spotlight?

Rep. Waxman Joins Calls for Redskins to Change 'Derogatory' Name

Friday, 09 May 2014 09:07 PM

By Sandy Fitzgerald

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California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman wants a congressional hearing on the Washington Redskins' team name, saying that it is "derogatory" and offensive.

Waxman sent a letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., on Friday to call for the hearing, saying that the team's name, which has been condemned by Native American groups as being racist, should not be condoned by the National Football League.

Waxman compared the continued use of the name to the remarks made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, whom the National Basketball Association banned for life, fined, and ordered to sell the team after a tape was leaked of racist statements he made to his girlfriend.

Waxman said the NBA took action and quickly banned Sterling, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has defended Redskins' owner Dan Snyder's insistence that the team's name would not be changed, reports The Hill.

"In the case of the Washington football team, the offensive conduct is public, not private," said the Democratic lawmaker. "But it is being condoned and defended by National Football League."

Waxman is the ranking Democrat on the Commerce Committee, which oversees professional sports, and said the NFL and its teams receive numerous tax breaks and benefits to justify the committee becoming involved.

"The word 'redskin' has been described by one Native American expert as being 'the equivalent of the 'N-word,'" Waxman wrote in the letter. "Another Native American activist described it as 'one of the last vestiges of racism that is held right out in the open in America.'"

Waxman also noted that 50 years ago the Redskins were the last NFL team to racially integrate, only agreeing to do so after pressure from then-Interior Secretary Stewart Udall.

"A congressional hearing could be a similar catalyst for action today," Waxman wrote. "We could play a constructive role in challenging racism by asking Mr. Snyder and Mr. Goodell to explain in a public hearing how their actions are consistent with the public interest."

Lawmakers from both parties have called on Snyder to change the team's name. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has made repeated calls for the NFL to force the team to change the name, recently also citing the Sterling case.

Reid earlier this week jumped into an online chat with Goodell and pushed football's top executive to "act against racism" and make the franchise pick a new team name. In the live Twitter session,  Goodell was fielding questions under the hashtag #AskCommish.

"Commissioner Goodell," Reid tweeted, "do you believe you have the authority to act against racism in the NFL like Mr. Silver did in the NBA?"

Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain has also said he would "probably" change the team's name if he was Snyder, and that the team owner should meet with Native American leaders to determine what the best course of action should be.

Related Stories:

• Harry Reid: NFL's Redskins Name 'Racist'
• Lawmakers to NFL: Change Redskins' Name or Else

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GM Definitely On The Hot Seat Over Ignition Switches. Was It Malfeasance? Why Did The Government Not Know Until Now?

House Probe of Deadly Defect in GM Cars Expands

Tuesday, 11 Mar 2014 04:43 PM

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Congress's investigation of a deadly defect in some General Motors cars widened on Tuesday, and a House committee led by Republican Fred Upton ordered the automaker and a federal regulator to provide details on steps they took to get unsafe cars off the road.In another development, federal prosecutors in New York are examining whether GM is criminally liable for failing to properly disclose the defect, according to a source familiar with that investigation.
The malfunction, which first came to light a decade ago and involves more than 1.6 million GM vehicles, has been linked to 13 deaths and prompted a recent recall by the automaker. The defect, a problem with the ignition switch in some GM cars, could cause cars to stall, airbags to fail and other problems while moving at high speeds.
The supplier of the ignition switch, Delphi Automotive Plc , said in a statement on Tuesday that the part had not been provided to any other automaker.
The congressional inquiry expanded to the Senate as Commerce Committee Chairman John Rockefeller moved to launch hearings about the issue.
In the House, the Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to GM CEO Mary Barra and National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration Acting Administrator David Friedman seeking information on their responses to consumers' complaints about the problem. They set a deadline of March 25 for the information.
Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican, said there were several questions surrounding the suspected malfunctioning ignition switches in the GM cars.
"We are just looking for answers to determine what the company and NHTSA knew about these problems, when they knew it, and what they did about it," Upton said.
The senior Democrat on the panel, Representative Henry Waxman, said the committee will look at whether GM "knowingly allowed faulty and dangerous cars to remain on the road." Waxman added that lawmakers also will gauge whether NHTSA "has all the tools the agency needs to keep drivers safe."
Congress' investigation into automobile safety issues is the latest in a string of high-profile problems plaguing the industry. In 2009-11, Toyota recalled automobiles in the United States after consumers complained about uncontrolled acceleration.
In 2000, Upton spearheaded an investigation into Firestone tire failures on Ford Motor Co vehicles, which resulted in federal legislation requiring better industry reporting on consumer complaints about defects.
Neither the House nor Senate panels has yet announced when hearings would be held or who would be called to testify.
White House spokesman Jay Carney sidestepped a question at a daily briefing about whether the White House was satisfied with how the NHTSA has handled the GM matter.
"Well, I can tell you that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a formal investigation into whether GM shared the information they had about this issue as quickly as they should have," Carney said.
He referred further questions about the recall to the agency.
Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the watchdog group the Center for Auto Safety, said NHTSA had more than enough data about the defect to order a recall by early 2007.
"It's absolutely egregious," he said.
"NHTSA has become too cozy with the auto industry," Ditlow said.
GM spokesman Greg Martin noted that the company on Monday said that it will cooperate with Congress as it looks into how GM and the federal government responded to the safety problem.
GM officials no doubt will be called to testify in any House or Senate hearings in coming weeks.
But the company is no stranger to Capitol Hill where it has a strong lobbying presence.
Last year, GM spent $8.8 million on lobbying activities, earning it a ranking of 42nd out of 2,900 organizations tracked by the Center for Responsive Politics. The expenditures were double those of rival Toyota for that year, according to Senate lobbying records.
© 2014 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.