With 46 golds, 37 silvers, and 38 bronzes, the U.S. won by far the most Olympic medals in Brazil earlier this month. Americans cheered on to victory such home-country gold medal winners as swimmer Michael Phelps, swimmer Katie Ledecky, and gymnast Simone Biles. But now their Olympic medals are about to be taxed, unless a new bill in Congress stops the practice.

American athletes receive awards of $25,000 per gold medal, $15,000 per silver medal, and $10,000 per bronze medal from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The federal tax code taxes that as earned income, potentially up to a $9,000 tax (depending on which income tax bracket the athlete falls under) The United States Appreciation for Olympians and Paralympians Act, S. 2650, would eliminate taxes on medals earned at the Olympics and Paralympics.

What supporters say

Supporters argue that eliminating the tax would reward the work of those who proudly represent our country on the international stage, and serve as an incentive for Olympians to perform their best without the prospect of a tax hanging over their heads.

“Preventing the IRS from taxing medals and modest cash incentive prizes sends the right message to present and future members of Team USA,” sponsor Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and cosponsor Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote in a joint op-ed. “Rather than viewing Olympic success as another chance to pay Uncle Sam, it’s a special opportunity to celebrate American patriotism and the Olympic tradition.”

What opponents say

Opponents note that Olympic medalists keep many thousands of dollars even after the tax, that they can already deduct potentially tens of thousands of dollars from their taxes for training expenses, and that — however admirable their accomplishments — it’s arbitrary to single out Olympic medalists for a tax break.

“Amending the tax code to single [Olympians] out because what they do is judged as particularly worthy and patriotic? Then what about the regular income of those who serve in the U.S. military? Or doctors and nurses who train for years and then go to Africa to battle Ebola and other deadly diseases? Or firefighters, and teachers of children with special needs?” wrote USA Today in an editorial. “Let’s not further complicate an absurdly complex tax code already laden with far too many exemptions, deductions and credits.”

Odds of passage

What are the odds of passage? After being introduced in March, the bill was passed by the Senate through a unanimous consent vote in July. Although individual senators’ votes weren’t recorded, the bill attracted a bipartisan mix of five Republican and two Democratic cosponsors. It now goes to the House, where Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI1) and Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX8) both support it.

But a previous version of the bill introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to coincide with the 2012 Olympics never received a vote. And the current version still faces opposition from some on the left who say “Everybody should pay their fair share” and those on the right who decry any exemptions as “crony capitalism.” At least the stakes aren’t as high as countries like Singapore and Taiwan that reward their Olympic medalists with more than $500,000 dollars apiece.

This article was written by GovTrack Insider staff writer Jesse Rifkin.