Sen. Rick Scott Introduces Legislation to Strip International Olympics Committee of Tax-Exempt Status

Statement

Today, as the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing begin, Senator Rick Scott joined Congressman Michael Waltz in introducing the bicameral and bipartisan Irresponsible Olympic Collaboration (IOC) Act in the U.S. Senate. This bill, which Congressman Waltz introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, would strip the International Olympics Committee (IOC) of its 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status. The legislation would not affect the Paralympic Committee's tax-exempt status.

Since 1992, the IOC has been recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization. However, in recent years, the IOC has given billions to authoritarian regimes, including $880 million to Communist China for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and $1.25 billion for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The IOC has provided these funds despite international outcries regarding human rights abuses and atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party.

Senator Rick Scott said, "The IOC must answer for its complete failure to address or even acknowledge the horrific human rights abuses and genocide occurring at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. In helping Communist China whitewash its crimes and abuses, the IOC has lost all credibility and forfeited its ability to operate as a tax-exempt entity. In the United States, we unapologetically stand for human rights and democracy, and Congress must make clear that our taxpayers will never be asked to subsidize the operations of an organization that so shamelessly profits from business with such an evil regime."

Representative Michael Waltz said, "The American taxpayer can no longer subsidize the IOC while it siphons off hundreds of millions of dollars directly to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to help build up Beijing's infrastructure and flies in the face of 501(c)(4) law. The IOC is complicit in promoting the regime's agenda to distract the world from their atrocities with the Olympic Fanfare. Adding insult to injury to the victims of the Uyghur genocide, the IOC is clothing their officials for the games with uniforms sourced from forced-labor concentration camps in Xinjiang, flaunting their indifference to the cries of the oppressed. The corporate partners for the 2022 Genocide Olympics should be ashamed to be associated with the IOC and the CCP's propaganda ploy."

Since entering the Senate, Senator Rick Scott has repeatedly called on the IOC to stand for human rights:

October 17, 2019: Sen. Rick Scott to International Olympics Committee: Stand up for Human Rights; Don't Host Olympic Games in Communist China
December 3, 2019: Sen. Rick Scott: International Olympic Committee's Cowardly Failure to Stand up for Human Rights
December 19, 2019: Senators Rick Scott and Josh Hawley to NBC: Stand Up for Human Rights; Refuse to Air Olympics Hosted in Communist China
March 4, 2020: Senators Rick Scott and Ed Markey Lead Colleagues in Bipartisan Resolution Demanding Olympic Committee Move 2022 Olympic Games Out of China Unless Country Address Human Rights Abuses
April 8, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott in the Washington Examiner: Address human rights or get the Olympics out of China
July 20, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott Blasts IOC's Shameful Disregard for Human Rights in China
August, 6, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott Requests Meeting with IOC President Bach on Moving 2022 Olympic Games Out of Communist China
September 11, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott: I'm Disappointed IOC Vice President Refused to Commit to Move 2022 Olympic Games Out of Communist China
September 14, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott in Washington Post: International Olympic Committee Must Do the Right Thing and Move 2022 Games Out of Communist China
September 30, 2020: Senate Dems Block Sen. Rick Scott Resolution Condemning Human Rights Abuses in Communist China
October 7, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott to Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Pass Resolution Urging International Olympic Committee to Move 2022 Games out of Communist China
October 20, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott to International Olympic Committee: Stop Ignoring Communist China's Genocide and Find a New Home for the 2022 Winter Games
November 16, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott to NBC: Don't Let Communist China Hide its Human Rights Abuses During 2022 Olympic Games
December 31, 2020: Sen. Rick Scott to International Olympic Committee: Take a Stand Against Communist China's Genocide
February 2, 2021: Senator Rick Scott Leads Colleagues in Resolution Demanding Olympic Committee Move 2022 Olympic Games Out of Communist China
February 5, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott: IOC Silence on Communist China's Human Rights Abuses is Shameful
February 25, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott Requests Meeting with President Biden on Moving 2022 Olympic Games Out of Communist China
March 9, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott Urges Prime Minister Johnson to Join Call to Move 2022 Olympics Out of Communist China
March 23, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott to Olympic Sponsors: Stand up for Human Rights, Join My Call to Move 2022 Games Out of Communist China
March 30, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott Urges Prime Minister Trudeau to Join Call to Move 2022 Olympics Out of Communist China
April 1, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott Urges Australian Prime Minister Morrison to Join Call to Move 2022 Olympics Out of Communist China
April 6, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott: Biden Must Demand Relocation of 2022 Olympic Games to United States
April 7, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott: We Can't Allow the IOC to Turn a Blind Eye to Communist China's Genocide
April 7, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott Urges French President Macron to Join Call to Move 2022 Olympics Out of Communist China
April 9, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott Urges Chancellor Angela Merkel to Join Call to Move 2022 Olympics Out of Communist China
May 13, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott: Biden's Silence on Communist China's Human Rights Abuses is Shameful
May 19, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott to NBC: Don't Pick and Choose When to Stand up for Human Rights; Refuse to Air 2022 Olympics Games in Communist China
June 15, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott: NBC Cannot Cower to Communist China on 2022 Olympic Games Coverage
July 9, 2021: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT… Sen. Rick Scott in the Wall Street Journal: If the International Olympic Committee Stands for Human Rights, It Should Move the 2022 Games from Communist China
July 27, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott: No Excuse for Biden's Inaction on Moving the 2022 Olympic Games out of Communist China
October 14, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott Demands President Biden Confront the Threat of Communist China; Protect American Athletes at 2022 Olympics
December 3, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott to International Olympic Committee: Communist China's Treatment of Peng Shuai Shows Why 2022 Games Cannot be Held in Beijing
December 6, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott: Biden's Weak Diplomatic Boycott of 2022 Olympics is Not Enough to Hold Communist China Accountable
December 8, 2021: Democrats Block Sen. Rick Scott's Resolution Condemning Communist China's Abuse, Supporting WTA & Peng Shuai
December 15, 2021: Sen. Rick Scott to FIFA, International Sports Associations: Stand for Peng Shuai & Athletes' Safety, Get Out of Communist China
January 5, 2022: Sen. Rick Scott: International Olympic Committee is Complicit in Communist China's Human Rights Abuses
January 13, 2022: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT… Sen. Rick Scott in The Washington Post: The International Olympic Committee is in Bed with Beijing
January 13, 2022: Sen. Rick Scott Demands Answers from Team USA on Protecting American Athletes at the 2022 Beijing Olympics
January 24, 2022: Sen. Rick Scott: Communist China Cannot Whitewash Genocide with Olympic Games

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