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The Republican takeover of the Senate will bring no respite in the scrutiny professional sports leagues will receive on Capitol Hill, according to the incoming chairman of a key committee.

Sen. John Thune, who is in line to take over the chairmanship of the Senate Commerce Committee next month, told the ESPN/ABC News podcast "Capital Games" that this week's high-profile hearing on domestic violence among pro athletes could be due for follow-up next year.

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He also mentioned head injuries and performance-enhancing drugs as areas where leagues and their players need to recognize their "power of example" - and to respect Congress' role providing oversight.

"When the league doesn't take misbehavior in a serious way, I think that reflects poorly not only on them and their organizations and their players, but I think it really does set an awfully bad example for people in this country," said Thune, R-S.D.

"It seems like they needed a wake-up call," Thune said of this week's hearing, convened by the outgoing Democratic majority on the Commerce Committee. "You'd think they would have gotten it by now."

You can listen to the full episode of "Capital Games" HERE.

Thune said he was disappointed that the league commissioners didn't personally appear at Tuesday's hearing, and that only the NBA chose to send its top players' association official.

"They didn't seem to take as seriously as we did what this was about," Thune said.

Thune said members of Congress are right to question the rights and benefits that leagues enjoy - including antitrust exemptions and not-for-profit tax status - in pushing sports executives to address problems that inevitably spill over into mainstream culture.

"It's a reality. They need to be aware that there are things, in the realm of public policy, that they rely on" from Washington, Thune said. "These guys are on pedestals. They have to remember that, and we have to make sure we remind them of that on a somewhat regular basis."

The Ray Rice domestic violence episode and a series of lower-profile incidents have brought a flurry of attention to the leagues' policies on domestic violence, from Capitol Hill and beyond. Members of Congress have also been peppering pro sports leagues with new questions on issues involving substance abuse, brain injuries and even franchise nicknames that some groups deem to be offensive.

Against that backdrop, this past election cycle saw an uptick in donations by sports leagues' political action committees. FUSION's Jordan Fabian joined the podcast to share his reporting on the $1.1 million that Major League Baseball and the National Football League showered on favored candidates in 2014.

Listen to "Capital Games" HERE.

"Capital Games with Andy Katz and Rick Klein" is a part of the podcast series ESPN Perspectives, with original audio programming on issues across the sports world. The program explores the intersection of sports and politics, through interviews and analysis, and can be downloaded free via iTunes or on the ESPN website.