Trump signs law that withholds United States' dues to WADA - ESPN

Tucked within the appropriations bill signed by President Donald Trump this week was a provision that withholds the United States' annual dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency until the organization takes steps to address the country's accusations that it's beholden to Chinese influence.

The new law, signed by Trump on Tuesday to end a partial government shutdown, states that any U.S. plan to fund WADA must include the results of an audit «to be conducted by external anti-doping experts and experienced independent auditors» that shows the agency and its executives are «operating consistent with their duties.»

For months the U.S. government has threatened to withhold its annual $3.6 million in WADA dues. The conflict stems from the revelation that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 but had not been punished after WADA accepted Chinese officials' explanation that the swimmers had eaten tainted food. WADA, the world's top anti-doping authority, did not report the incident publicly or to its own executive board.

U.S. government officials have warned that they might eventually lead an exodus of countries away from WADA's authority, a drastic step that would upend nearly 27 years of a system that has governed almost all international sport, including the Olympics and World Cup. U.S. and WADA officials have said they don't see that happening anytime soon, but they also say they don't know how the conflict will be resolved.

The push for greater WADA transparency and accountability started during the Biden Administration, has bipartisan support and has no evident opposition in Congress. The White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) withheld its 2025 dues during President Joe