Barr's bid to ban race day drugs gets him a crucial starring role | McClatchy Washington Bureau

It's good to be an incumbent when you're facing a tough re-election fight — as Rep. Andy Barr vividly demonstrated Friday when he testified before Congress on his legislation to better regulate his state's signature horse racing industry.

Friday's hearing was a significant boost for Barr's legislation, but it also provided some potentially beneficial optics to the Republican whose contest against Democrat Amy McGrath is one of the most competitive congressional races in the country.

As television cameras rolled, Barr, R-Ky., was the first witness. Then he sat with his colleagues, listening intently and occasionally leaning over to chat with a fellow member as other witnesses spoke. Barr later released his testimony on Twitter.

The Cook Political Report just this week changed the rating on his race from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up," citing polling that has Barr slightly behind retired Marine pilot McGrath after her high-profile Democratic primary win last month.

Barr said the hearing had nothing to do with his campaign — he has backed similar legislation since 2015.

"This is not about politics," Barr said after the hearing before a House Energy & Commerce subcommittee. "This is something I've been working on for a long time. My advocacy for horse racing integrity and safety is a longstanding position. What drives this is the fact I represent the horse capital of the world."

The legislation is no sure political win for Barr. His last bill failed to advance. And the current legislation bitterly divides the industry, illustrated starkly by the fact that although Barr has more than 120 sponsors for his bill, he is the only Kentucky lawmaker among them.

At the hearing, a panel of opponents accused supporters of seeking to launch a "sweeping takeover" that would hurt the industry and would use the promise of uniform regulations as a "smokescreen" to eliminate furosemide, known as Lasix — a diuretic now legal to administer on race day in the U.S. and Canada, but banned in most major racing countries.

Alan Foreman, the chairman and CEO of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said the legislation would create an unnecessary federal bureaucracy and called it an "ill-conceived effort by certain special interests to impose their views."

Still, the hearing provided Barr with the opportunity to demonstrate that he can work with Democrats, an argument that could be critical as he runs in a divided district such as Kentucky's sixth. President Donald Trump won the district in 2016, but Democrats hold a nearly 100,000 voter registration edge.

"You might think a New York Democrat and a Kentucky Republican can't agree on much, but we have developed a strong working relationship on this issue," said Barr's co-sponsor, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y. , who referred to Barr as his friend. "We both love the sport of horse racing and want to see it thrive."

Barr in his opening remarks made sure to shore up his right flank, noting he was a "conservative who believes in states' rights." He insisted he was fighting for the sport's future, arguing that a "patchwork of conflicting and inconsistent rules" is hampering the industry and undermining public confidence.

He later got a boost from Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who argued that although he mostly opposes regulation, "Congress does have a role when it starts crossing state lines."

Mullin added, "We are a long way from getting this fixed, but is a conversation we need to start," and thanked "Andy" for starting the conversation.

Yet having a supportive colleague was not always a guarantee of support. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois., said he had heard from veterinarians who support the use of Lasix, which under Barr's bill would be banned on race day. In addition, Kinzinger said he planned to add to the record several letters from constituents who he said opposed the legislation.

Kinzinger's Democratic counterpart, however, Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, said she was an enthusiastic co-sponsor and thanked Barr and Tonko for the legislation.

"It's past time we address this glaring issue," she said, noting that animal welfare is one of the top five issues her constituents tell her they care about.

Also given a prominent spot for the cameras: Chris McCarron, a retired Hall of Fame jockey who backs Barr's legislation and had a prime front row seat.

Supporters said the legislation would bring the industry into the 21st Century. "Many of the laws we have on the books were written when state racing commissions were created more than five decades ago," said Stuart Janney, chairman of The Jockey Club, who warned that better enforcement is needed with the rapid development of performance enhancing drugs. "We're in a different world."