Washington ? The commissioners of major-league baseball, the NBA and the NHL told Congress they wanted to toughen their steroid policies, drawing praise Wednesday from lawmakers intent on legislating standardized drug-testing across U.S. pro sports.

In an unusual gathering of some of the most powerful people in American sports, the heads of management and unions from that trio of leagues plus Major League Soccer testified before the House Commerce trade and consumer protection subcommittee about the proposed Drug Free Sports Act.

The bill’s strongest advocate appeared to be baseball commissioner Bud Selig. His sport’s steroids program drew strong criticism from lawmakers at a March 17 hearing held by the Government Reform Committee, which is carrying out a separate inquiry.

As subcommittee chairman Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., put it: “Commissioner Selig has come out in support of the bill, and that might be out of frustration.”

Since his earlier trip to Capitol Hill, Selig asked Major League Baseball Players Assn. executive director Donald Fehr to agree to increase penalties for positive tests — including a lifetime suspension for a third offense — and ban amphetamines.

“I have one objective in all of this, and I’ve told Don this a lot, and I’ve told everybody else, and I told the owners last week: My job is to rid this sport of steroids and rid any suspicion,” Selig said outside the wood-paneled hearing room.

NBA commissioner David Stern told the committee he wanted to kick players out of the league for a third failed steroid test and double the punishment for a first offense to 10 games. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and union head Bob Goodenow also argued hockey players wouldn’t be helped by steroid use.