The fallout from the controversial June 9 Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley decision continues, as two powerful U.S. Senators, Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), teamed up Monday to sponsor a bill that would create a federal commission to oversee the sport.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported the bill.

Bradley was awarded a split-decision victory over Pacquiao in a fight most people had Pacquiao winning in dominating fashion. Judges Duane Ford and Cindy Ross scored it 115-113 for Bradley while Jerry Roth had it for Pacquiao 115-113.

McCain, who lost the presidential election in 2008, has been a longtime proponent of federal regulation of boxing.

According to the Review-Journal, the proposed U.S. Boxing Commission would oversee all professional matches, license judges and referees, and appoint judges to work championship fights. It would license boxers, promoters and managers, and would have the power to revoke licenses for unethical or illegal conduct, or to protect fighters.

"This bill would better protect professional boxing from the fraud, corruption, and ineffective regulation that has plagued the sport for too many years," McCain said.

McCain and Reid are longtime boxing fans who have pushed to create a federal commission in bills that have advanced in the Senate in the last several years but never passed.

McCain, in a speech Monday, said that the Pacquiao-Bradley disputed decision is behind the renewed push for federal legislation.

"The Pacquiao-Bradley fight is the latest example of the legitimate distrust boxing fans have for the integrity of the sport," McCain said. "After the Pacquiao-Bradley decision was announced, fans were clearly apoplectic and many commentators found the decision astonishing."

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who last week asked the Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto to investigate the scoring of the fight -- Arum promotes both fighters -- told USA TODAY Sports Monday night he supports the concept of a federal commission, but said the bill, as written, has a lot of problems.

"If you read the bill, it is really Draconian as far as asking for a lot of paperwork from promoters. They're asking for every little expenditure we make. What's the purpose of that? It seems like a lot of unnecessary paperwork.

"But as far as appointing officials, I think that's a good thing."

Reid, a longtime friend of Arum's, supported the promoter's call for an investigation into the scoring, though he called the Nevada Athletic Commission "the best boxing organization in the country supervised by the state."

Reid has said he does not believe there was anything suspicious in the Pacquiao-Bradley judging, calling it "a bad day for a couple of judges."