{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205202623/http://www.schatz.senate.gov/press-releases/under-schatz-questioning-nfl-admits-teams-should-be-more-accountable-for-domestic-violence-cases", "Under Schatz Questioning NFL Admits Teams Should Be More Accountable For Domestic Violence Cases", "2014-12-03", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Brian Schatz", "S001194", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Under Schatz Questioning NFL Admits Teams Should Be More Accountable For Domestic Violence Cases \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Schatz Sends Letter to NFL Following Hearing on Domestic Violence in Professional Sports \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 3, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t  Washington, DC \u2013 Today U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai\u2018i) sent a letter to National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell calling on the NFL to address domestic violence and the pervasive culture of avoiding long-term suspensions to quickly get players back on the field for financial motives. The letter follows a Senate Commerce Committee hearing where Senator Schatz questioned Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, about domestic violence in in the NFL.\u00a0 Under questioning from Schatz, Mr. Vincent stated the NFL was reviewing options to hold teams more accountable for the culture of excusing domestic violence which include \u201cthe removal of draft picks.\u201d \u201cYou should consider using all tools at your disposal to hold team owners accountable for promoting cultures that either explicitly or tacitly excuses domestic violence and sexual assault, including penalizing teams by taking away draft picks,\u201d Schatz wrote to Goodell.\u00a0 \u201cI urge you to create accountability at all levels of the NFL, particularly among team owners, who have the most direct financial incentives to avoid long-term suspensions and quickly get players back on the field.\u00a0 There must be a proactive effort to implement a culture of active opposition to these societal scourges, and to communicate that message both to those within the NFL and to its audience.\u201d    Video of Senator Schatz questioning Troy Vincent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLFvhws7BAE&feature=youtu.be&t=3m11s Full text of letter is as follows: December 3, 2014Roger GoodellCommissionerNational Football League1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 645Washington, D.C. 20004\nDear Commissioner Goodell,\nI remain deeply concerned by the National Football League\u2019s (NFL) lack of aggressiveness in implementing consistent disciplinary policies regarding domestic violence and sexual assault by league and team employees. \u00a0I appreciate Mr. Vincent\u2019s testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on December 2nd, 2014, but his and his fellow witnesses\u2019 words must be matched with action. I encourage you to hold the NFL to the commitments that Mr. Vincent made and proactively address the concerns raised at the hearing.\u00a0 You should consider using all tools at your disposal to hold team owners accountable for promoting cultures that either explicitly or tacitly excuses domestic violence and sexual assault, including penalizing teams by taking away draft picks.\u00a0\nAs you continue the process of reevaluating and improving your disciplinary policies related to cases of domestic abuse and sexual assault I urge you to create accountability at all levels of the NFL, particularly among team owners, who have the most direct financial incentives to avoid long-term suspensions and quickly get players back on the field. \u00a0\nAt the December 2nd hearing, Mr. Vincent noted that an NFL owners\u2019 meeting in the coming weeks will begin to consider systems of accountability for team owners, staff, and even local law enforcement who work for teams when off duty. \u00a0One possible penalty that Mr. Vincent mentioned was the removal of draft picks for teams that do not proactively move to both prevent and punish domestic violence and sexual assaults committed by their employees.\u00a0 The NFL also committed to providing critical funding to domestic violence support groups that have been flooded with requests for help in the wake of the Ray Rice video. I hope you will keep that option and other points of leverage on the table to drive home the point to team owners that the NFL is serious about accountability.\nAs you work to remove any incentive that discourage the reporting of assaults and encourage lax punishment, I also urge you to work diligently to change the culture of your league and your teams from the board room to the locker room. \u00a0In an industry that actively styles itself as far more than a business, one that seeks to create and promote role models for youth, there can be zero tolerance for misogyny or\u00a0violence. Indeed, there must be a proactive effort to implement a culture of active opposition to these societal scourges, and to communicate that message both to those within the NFL and to its audience.\nSincerely,\n Brian SchatzUnited States Senator\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205202623/http://www.schatz.senate.gov/press-releases/under-schatz-questioning-nfl-admits-teams-should-be-more-accountable-for-domestic-violence-cases"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.542143989354372, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}