>> Martha: JUST A COUPLE OF
DAYS OLYMPICS WILL MARCH
NORMAL WINTER.
HERE IS A PICTURE OF SOME OF
THEMSELVES DEPARTING AS THEY
WERE HEADING OUT TO SOUTH
KOREA.
THEY HAVE THEIR FLAGS ALWAYS
SUCH AN EXCITING TIME.
IN PART ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN
A BIT OVERSHADOWED BY THE
ABUSE SCANDAL THAT HAS
ROCKED U.S.A. GYMNASTICS.
U.S.A. DOCTOR ACCUSED OF
ABUSING HUNDREDS OF YOUNG
WOMEN.
MANY OF WHOM BRAVELY STARED
DOWN THEIR ATTACKER IN
COURT.
>> I REMEMBER LAYING THERE
FROZEN STIFF ON THE TABLE
UTTERLY MORTIFIED, CONFUSED
AND SCARED.
>> I WANT THE NIGHTMARES OF
YOU COMING INTO MY ROOM TO
GO AWAY.
I WANT TO NOT GO OUT AND
PUBLIC AND SEE SOMEBODY LIKE
YOU AND HAVE TO LEAVE.
>> U.S. GYMNASTICS WHERE IS
THE HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY
WHY MUST THE MANIPULATION
CONTINUE.
>> IT’S A GREAT QUESTION AND
ONE THAT TWO SENATORS ARE
HOPING TO ANSWER AND MAKE A
BIG DIFFERENCE ON FROM
CONGRESS.
JOINING ME NOW TONIGHT NEW
HAMPSHIRE SENATOR JEAN
SHAHEEN AND IOWA SENATOR
JONI ERNST.
SENATORS, WELCOME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE TONIGHT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANKS, MARTHA.
>> Martha: WHEN YOU THROIRCH
THAT LAST STATEMENT BY ELLIE
RICEMAN, THAT’S THE ISSUE
THAT YOU WANT TO GET TO THE
HEART OF.
U.S.A. OLYMPICS AND U.S. --
U.S. GYMNASTICS AND U.S.
OLYMPIC COMMITTEE JEAN
SHAHEEN HAD SOME AWARENESS
OF WHAT WAS GOING ON FOR AS
LONG AS A COUPLE OF YEARS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THERE IS SOME SUGGESTIONS
THAT THE REPORTS GO BACK
EVEN FARTHER THAN THAT.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WHY WAS
NOTHING DONE?
AND AS YOU’VE SHOWN SO WELL
THOSE YOUNG WOMEN WHO IS THE
COURIC TO CONFRONT THEIR
ATTACKER.
THEY WANT ANSWERS TO WHY
THIS WAS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN
THAT’S WHAT THE RESOLUTION
THAT WE HAVE INTRODUCED GETS
AT.
BECAUSE IT’S A BIPARTISAN
EFFORT, WE ALREADY HAVE 18
SPONSORS ON THE LEGISLATION.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET
LEADERSHIP TO GO ALONG AND
MAKE SURE THAT THIS
COMMITTEE GETS APPOINTED AND
IS ABLE TO ACT IN A WAY THAT
PROVIDES ANSWERS TO THESE
YOUNG WOMEN AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
>> Martha: YEAH.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE
PROBLEMS, SENATOR ERNST, IS
THAT THIS IS STILL GOING ON.
AND I WANT TO PLAY FOR YOU A
SOUND BITE FROM JAMIE WHO I
INTERVIEWED JUST LAST WEEK
ABOUT THAT.
SHE WAS TALKING IN THE
BEGINNING ABOUT THE CAN A THE C.
>> DID BELLA AND MARTA KNOW
WHAT THE TREATMENT CONSISTED
OF?
>> IN MY OPINION, THEY THEY
HAD TO KNOW.
I KNEW THEY KNEW ABOUT
SEXUAL ABUSE DATING BACK
FROM THE 1970S, NOT JUST
FROM LARRY NASSAR BUT FROM
OTHER COACHES THAT THEY
100 PERCENT KNEW THAT
CHILDREN WERE BEING SEXUALLY
ABUSED.
>> OTHER COACHES THERE
ABUSING PEOPLE.
>> YEAH.
OTHER COACHES ABUSING
ATHLETES.
>> Martha: TWO QUESTIONS
SENATOR ERNST.
ARE YOU LOOKING INTO THE
CAROLIS.
AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT
WHAT’S GOING ON AT THIS
MINUTE TODAY IN SOME OF
THESE GYMS.
>> MARTHA, THANK YOU.
WE KNOW THAT SEXUAL ASSAULT
IS NEVER OKAY.
ANY TIME ANY PLACE THE
RESOLUTION THAT SENATOR
SHAHEEN AND I ARE WORKING ON
FOCUSES ON U.S. OLYMPIC
COMMITTEE AND U.S.A.
GYMNASTICS, BUT THERE WILL
BE I’M SURE OTHER INQUIRIES.
WHO KNEW WHAT?
WHO WAS INVOLVED AND WHY DID
THEY TURN A BLIND EYE.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE FOCUSING
ON THE OLYMPICS COMMITTEE
ALSO RAISING AWARENESS TO
THE OTHER SITUATIONS THAT
THESE SURVIVORS HAVE GONE
THROUGH.
AND JUST RAISING THAT
AWARENESS AND PUTTING
EVERYBODY ON ALERT AND
SAYING LISTEN, THIS WON’T BE
TOLERATED.
>> Martha: HOPEFULLY THAT
IMPOWERS THEM TO SPEAK OUT
AT GYMS.
SENATOR SHAHEEN,
SPECIFICALLY, SCOTT BLACKMAN
HAS BEEN THE CEO OF THE U.S.
OLYMPIC COMMITTEE FOR MANY
YEARS.
AND HE HAS WORKED IN THAT
ORGANIZATION FOR MANY YEARS.
YOU ARE ASKING FOR HIM TO
RESIGN.
ARE YOU GETTING ANYWHERE
WITH THAT?
>> WELL, SENATOR ERNST AND I
BOTH CALLED ON HIM TO
RESIGN.
AND HASN’T DONE THAT YET
BUT, AGAIN, THAT’S WHY WE
NEED TO FIND OUT WHO WAS
RESPONSIBLE.
WHAT PEOPLE KNEW, WHY THIS
WAS ALLOWED TO GO ON FOR SO
LONG AND MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
IT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO SAY
OH, WELL, IT WAS JUST LARRY
NASSAR AND HE WAS THIS
MONSTER AND WE’RE GOING TO
PUT HIM BEHIND BARS.
THAT’S IMPORTANT.
BUT, WHAT’S EQUALLY
IMPORTANT IS TO FIND OUT WHY
THEY WERE -- THEY CREATED
THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE THIS
MONSTER COULD DO HIS ABUSE
FOR SO MANY YEARS.
>> Martha: I JUST HAVE A FEW
SECONDS LEFT, SENATOR ERNST,
COULD WE SEE HEARINGS WHERE
WE MAY SEE PEOPLE QUESTIONED
BY YOUR COMMITTEE.
>> I’M VERY HOPEFUL.
WE HAVE TO GET THE
RESOLUTION THROUGH.
WE ARE ENCOURAGING OUR
COLLEAGUES TO ENGAGE IN
THIS.
WE ARE ENCOURAGING OUR
LEADERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT
IT GETS TO THE FLOOR.
BOTTOM LINE, SEXUAL ASSAULT
IS NEVER OKAY WE’RE NOT
GOING TO STAND FOR IT IN THE
UNITED STATES SENATE.
WE INTEND TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT SENATOR SHAHEEN AND
I ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT
THIS ISSUE.
WE WANT TO SEE ACTION.
>> Martha: WE HOPE YOU WILL
GET ACTION AND PUSH FOR IT
WE WILL BE WATCHING CLOSELY.
WE INVITE YOU BACK TO TALK