Federal Unemployment Benefits Drug Test Bill Introduced

[The Straight Story]

Federal Unemployment Benefits Drug Test Bill Introduced


A Republican congressman from Georgia has filed a bill that would require applicants for federally funded unemployment benefits to do a drug screening questionnaire. Those who are identified as having a high probability of using drugs would have to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits and they would be subject to random drug tests while receiving benefits.

Last week, Rep. Jack Kingston introduced HR 3601, the Ensuring the Quality of Unemployment Insurance Program (EQUIP) Act, portraying it as a money-saving measure for the cash-strapped federal government.

"Drug screening as a condition of unemployment benefits safeguards valuable taxpayer dollars by ensuring job seekers are at their competitive best for re-employment and helps to reduce the nation’s debt by not using federal resources to enable an individual’s drug dependency,’’ Kingston said in a letter to colleagues seeking their support.

But he only cited only apocryphal evidence that drug use among unemployment recipients is a problem worthy of federal legislation.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2011/dec/12/federal_unemployment_benefits_dr

Saw this over on DU2 but not here.

[marmar]

1. Psychological screenings of all elected Republicans would be a better idea.

nt

[Major Nikon]

3. I'd settle for just an IQ test

With room temperature as the passing score.

[atreides1]

6. Not a good test

Most psychopaths are very intelligent.

[Major Nikon]

7. Gotta start weeding out the dipshits somewhere

Dog knows the democratic process isn't working.

[Brickbat]

2. Works for me -- as long as Congress is tested, too. I'd also like to test them for alcohol while on

the job.

[tridim]

4. Take a guess what happens if you check "Black" or "Hispanic"

Please drug test Jack Kingston, and don't ignore alcohol and prescription narcotics.

[freshwest]

5. Unemployment is a temporary financial condition, not a moral one, but this is a GOP dog whistle.

'Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.' ~ Herman Melville

[NNN0LHI]

8. If we should be drug testing anyone it should be congressman

Next this will be for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees if the GOP gets its way.

Don

[Donnachaidh]

9. Martin Bashir just had this chucklehead on his show

And he soundly ripped him a new orifice.

Why, oh why does Savannah keep sending this embarrassment back to Congress?