WASHINGTON – Roger Clemens spoke under oath for about five hours to congressional lawyers Tuesday, then said he told them he did not use performance-enhancing drugs.

“It was great to be able to tell them what I’ve been saying all along – that I’ve never used steroids or growth hormone,” the seven-time Cy Young Award winner said.

Clemens did not take questions from reporters.

Clemens’ closed-door, sworn testimony on Capitol Hill came one day after his Yankees teammate and workout partner, Andy Pettitte, gave a deposition to committee staff for 2« hours.

Both players’ interviews are part of preparation for a Feb. 13 hearing, a public session expected to focus on allegations made in the Mitchell Report by trainer Brian McNamee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with human growth hormone and steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

Tuesday’s deposition was the first time Clemens addressed the allegations under oath – meaning it also was the first time he faced legal risk if he were to make false statements.

McNamee is to be interviewed by committee lawyers Thursday.

Clemens acknowledged he received injections from McNamee, but he said they were for vitamin B-12 and the painkiller lidocaine.

Associated Press Writer Sarah Karush contributed to this report.