Story highlights
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal says the NFL needs to do more to combat domestic abuse
- Baltimore Ravens terminates Ray Rice's contract in wake of new video
- Video shows Rice punching future wife, who lunges at him; he hits back, she falls to floor
- Blumenthal won't "rule out" Congressional involvement in NFL
For Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the Ravens' firing of running back Ray Rice on Monday doesn't come close to addressing how the NFL deals with domestic violence. He said the league "deserves special scrutiny" for such matters.
Blumenthal said he won't "rule out" Congressional involvement to pressure the NFL to alter its "deep-seated fundamental far-reaching problem" involving domestic abuse.
The Connecticut Democrat, who has been a sharp critic of the NFL's handling of domestic violence issues, said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's leadership has been "completely lacking," adding that it should not require recorded evidence to punish someone for abuse.
Ray Rice: 'I apologize to my wife' 01:26
As football season finished its opening weekend, Congress pounced on a variety of issues in addition to domestic abuse. Members of Congress are up in arms over NFL-imposed media blackouts of games and the league's tax-exempt status.
While Congress hasn't done anything about it, it holds the league's antitrust exemption over its head to ensure the league stays in line.
The NFL works to keep Congress at bay, too. Its political donations favor incumbents and are divided mostly equally between Republicans and Democrats. The NFL's lobbying activity spiked after 2006 to more than $1 million per year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
"There's only one NFL, so by definition it gets special treatment," Blumenthal said.
