Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. and 11 others close to horse racing have been asked to appear before Congress on June 19, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection announced on Wednesday. "Recent high-profile deaths, including Eight Belles at this year's Kentucky Derby, Barbaro after his 2006 Preakness injury, and George Washington in last year's Breeder's Cup Classic, point to a persistent and widespread problem, raising significant questions about the sport and its governance," Chairman Bobby L. Rush, D-Ill. and ranking member Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., said in the joint release. California Horse Racing Board Chairman Richard Shapiro, National Thoroughbred Racing Association President and CEO Alex Waldrop and four veterinarians have also been asked to appear in letters sent out last month. Whitfield has been a proponent of a national governing body that would standardize horse racing rules when it comes to steroids, jockey weight, approved medicines and insurance. "Each state is its own island," said Shapiro, whose state will begin enforcing a steroids ban on July 1. "That's part of the problem. … We need one set of rules." Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more