New Hampshire’s two U.S. Senators are among 16 female, bipartisan Senators who are urging the commissioner of the NFL to take a zero-tolerance stance toward domestic violence.
Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen signed the letter sent to Commissioner Roger Goodell, responding to the recent controversy over former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.
In the letter, the Senators raise concerns about whether NFL officials knew the severity of Rice’s assault against his then-fiancée Janay Palmer.
“We are deeply concerned that the NFL’s new policy, announced last month, would allow a player to commit a violent act and return after a short suspension,” the letter reads. “If you violently assault a woman, you shouldn’t get a second chance to play football in the NFL.”
Rice had received a two-game suspension, but after TMZ released a video of the assault in an Atlantic City casino elevator, the Ravens cut ties with Rice and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.
While Goodell had said neither he nor any other NFL officials had seen the video up until this week, the Associated Press reported a law enforcement official said the NFL confirmed receipt of the video months ago.
The league has hired an independent investigator to probe the NFL’s response.
