Report: 50 Senators sign letter urging NFL to force Redskins to change name

Fifty members of the Senate signed a letter addressed to the NFL urging the league to force the Washington Redskins to change their name, The New York Times reports. 

"The NFL can no longer ignore this and perpetuate the use of this name as anything but what it is: a racial slur," the letter reads. 

"Racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports."

Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington said the letter should escalate the issue to the point where "we are going to find out if the NFL can act against this kind of discrimination as quickly as the NBA did," a reference to the NBA's recent actions against Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling following his racist remarks.

Only five Senate Democrats and Independents did not sign the letter. None of the 45 Republicans provided their signatures, as the letter was not circulated among them.