Discussion · Senate
Cory A. Booker Democrat
“I want the Senate to pass my amendment to this bill. College athletes often suffer serious, lifelong injuries, and $100 million is not enough to cover their medical care. My amendment raises this fund to $200 million and makes the NCAA and the biggest athletic conferences pay for it.”
“Mr. President, I would like to speak about my amendment Booker and Blumenthal 6805. To my colleagues, college athletes are putting their bodies out there on the line every day. And many of us who played, we know that some suffer serious, long-term injuries to their spines, their knees, their shoulders, and now what we are seeing is the explosion of CTE, traumatic brain injury. It is a crisis in our country. I know guys who have had to reach into their own pockets to pay for ongoing medical care literally for decades, and the cost of that care is going to continue to get higher and higher. And in some cases, these injuries athletes have, they are going to live with for the rest of their lives. Section 106 of this bill provides up to $100 million for a post- eligibility insurance and catastrophic injury fund. I am glad the bill recognizes college athletes need help covering the cost of injuries they sustained while playing, but I am skeptical that $100 million will be enough. There are roughly half a million college athletes competing at any given time. That money can go quickly when you are talking about serious, lifelong injuries. Our amendment would raise the cap on the fund from $100 million to $200 million. And, more importantly, it wouldn’t hurt small schools. It would be the NCAA and the Power Four conferences that would be responsible for covering the difference. These are the institutions that have built multibillion dollar industries around college sports. They should help ensure that athletes who suffer serious injuries have the resources to receive the care that they need. This amendment will provide greater resources to address athletes’ long-term injuries without placing additional financial burdens on schools--”
Mr. President, I would like to speak about my amendment Booker and Blumenthal 6805. To my colleagues, college athletes are putting their bodies out there on the line every day. And many of us who played, we know that some suffer serious, long-term injuries to their spines, their knees, their shoulders, and now what we are seeing is the explosion of CTE, traumatic brain injury. It is a crisis in our country. I know guys who have had to reach into their own pockets to pay for ongoing medical care literally for decades, and the cost of that care is going to continue to get higher and higher. And in some cases, these injuries athletes have, they are going to live with for the rest of their lives. Section 106 of this bill provides up to $100 million for a post- eligibility insurance and catastrophic injury fund. I am glad the bill recognizes college athletes need help covering the cost of injuries they sustained while playing, but I am skeptical that $100 million will be enough. There are roughly half a million college athletes competing at any given time. That money can go quickly when you are talking about serious, lifelong injuries. Our amendment would raise the cap on the fund from $100 million to $200 million. And, more importantly, it wouldn’t hurt small schools. It would be the NCAA and the Power Four conferences that would be responsible for covering the difference. These are the institutions that have built multibillion dollar industries around college sports. They should help ensure that athletes who suffer serious injuries have the resources to receive the care that they need. This amendment will provide greater resources to address athletes’ long-term injuries without placing additional financial burdens on schools--