Republicans Pass Bill To Allow Unemployment Drug Testing

[+Malamute]

Congress To Drug Test People Applying for Unemployment

 

http://www.attn.com/stories/15783/congress-wants-drug-test-people-applying-unemployment

 

It just got easier for states to drug test people who are applying for unemployment. On Tuesday, the Senate passed House Joint Resolution 42 which overturns an Obama-era regulation limiting the degree to which states can drug test people applying for unemployment benefits.

 

Tweet from paul ryan: Another one heads to President Trump’s desk. This legislation allows states to have drug testing to receive federal unemployment benefits.

 

 

Congress was able to overturn the law by utilizing the Congressional Review Act, which offers a method of changing recently implemented federal regulations by a simple majority. So, instead of needing a two-thirds majority, they were able to override the Obama-era legislation with a 51-48 vote in the Senate. 

As House Speaker Paul Ryan proudly tweeted on Sunday, the bill now heads to the president for final approval, which is likely

The regulation that is being overturned is the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, which was passed in 2012 and more narrowly defined in 2016, which mandated that states could only test people applying for unemployment benefits if they were fired from a job for using illegal substances or if they were applying for a job that required drug testing. 

Many Republicans, such as Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) who sponsored the bill, believe that the Obama-era law undermined state power.

 

 

 

But while Ryan may have celebrated the legislation, critics are pointing to multiple flaws in the measure. 

 

First of all, the evidence suggesting that individuals on welfare use more drugs than the general population is mixed at best. According to Think Progress, statistics from states with drug testing programs actually show a lower drug usage rate than the general population. Research in various states supports this data. According to Vox, screening efforts by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services found that out of 7,600 welfare recipients, only 21 tested positive. In 2012, when Utah drug tested welfare recipients, only 12 people out of 466 tested positive for drugs. USA reports that out of the 87,000 welfare recipients drug tested in Arizona, only one person tested positive. 

 

These programs are also costly. According to the National Employment Law Project (NELP) in 2015 ten states spent over $850,000 on testing welfare recipients and only found 321 positive results. Furthermore, according to NELP, Texas estimated that a drug test program would cost the state $30 million a year. 

 

Drug testing welfare recipients has also been found unconstitutional. In 2013, a federal court struck down a Florida law mandating drug testing for welfare benefits because it violated the Fourth Amendment. As Vice reported, the ACLU is currently preparing for a legal battle to oppose the regulation on such grounds. 

Opponents of the bill also argue that it stigmatizes unemployment as well as potentially deterring people with drug problems from seeking the assistance they need. "If people are afraid they'll lose their benefits if they admit to using drugs, it makes it hard for them to say, 'Hey, actually I have this issue" Elizabeth Lower-Basch, policy coordinator and director of income and work supports at CLASP, told Think Progress. 

 

As Fox6now reported, some Democratic lawmakers did not mince words when commenting on the resolution. "Yesterday, congressional Republicans continued their attack on the poor by forcing drug testing as a prerequisite for receiving unemployment benefits," Rep. Gwen Moore (D- Wis) said and continued, "I am appalled by the Republican Party's discriminatory policies and deeply-sown disdain against those battling poverty.

[+Malamute]

Senate Vote:

 

51 Republicans- YEAS

 

49 Democrats- NAY

 

-----------

 

House: Total 236-189

 

232 Republicans- YEAS

1 Republican- NAYS

 

188 Democratic- NAYS

4 Democratic- YEAS.

[+Malamute]

Remember, Drug testing is for busting MARIJUANA users.

 

You can snort an 8 ball on Friday and pass a drug test on Monday. You can eat 5 Oxycontins on Friday and pass your drug test on Monday. You can shoot up heroin on Friday and pass your drug test on Monday.

 

Marijuana,...... everyone knows the story here.

 

Drug testing is not anti drug. It is anti marijuana. Period.

[+Malamute]

Oh, btw, fuk republicans and the people that vote for them.

 

Any of you care to come out and support this republican dream?

[+Malamute]

I mean, that even includes Rand Paul the supposed Libertarian.

 

Pahahahaha.....

 

Rand Paul while praying to the Aqua Buddha said.. " Fuk you marijuana users!"

[+Malamute]

Btw, this is specifically asked for by Trumps Administration.

 

This is one of those "onerous" regulations they have to get rid of. A protection against unconstitutional search and seizure. Cant be having that.

 

 

The Administration strongly supports the actions taken by the House to begin to nullify unnecessary regulations. The regulations that the House is voting to overturn under the Congressional Review Act establish onerous reporting requirements and other constraints on States.

 

H.J. Res. 42 would nullify the Employment and Training Administration's Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program; Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 Provision on Establishing Appropriate Occupations for Drug Testing of Unemployment Compensation Applicants 81 Fed. Reg. 50298 (August 1, 2016), promulgated by the Department of Labor. The rule determines the occupations that regularly conduct drug testing for use by States when determining which unemployment insurance applicants may be tested. The rule
imposes an arbitrarily narrow definition of occupations and constrains a State's ability to conduct a drug testing program in its unemployment insurance system, as authorized in Public Law 112-96, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.

[cristinew]

4th amendment means nothing to them 

[Wild Bill]

I mean, that even includes Rand Paul the supposed Libertarian.

 

Pahahahaha.....

 

Rand Paul while praying to the Aqua Buddha said.. " Fuk you marijuana users!"

 

With the Republican party going down the tubes many of them are claiming to be libertarians (small "L"). None of them really are they just try to spin their views to be something more people friendly. Rand Paul in particular. His father was a true libertarian but Rand is just another corporate shill.

[william7]

All politicians and corporate leadership need to be drug tested too. Equal protection demands it!

 

Trey Radel, Busted On Cocaine Charge, Voted For Drug Testing Food Stamp Recipients

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/trey-radel-drug-testing_n_4305348.html

 

Lawmakers Trying To Pass Bill Exempting Politicians From Arrest And Prosecution For Corruption

http://www.mintpressnews.com/lawmakers-trying-pass-bill-exempting-politicians-arrest-prosecution-corruption/201937/

 

There's actually biblical support for this idea. It's not for the rich and powerful - like kings - to get intoxicated. They are the ones who need to be of sound mind when making the very big, important decisions effecting the masses. On the other hand, those who are dying, in anguish, or in poverty should be able to become intoxicated.

 

Proverbs 31:4-7

 

⁴ It is not for kings, Lemuel—
    it is not for kings to drink wine,
    not for rulers to crave beer,
⁵ lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,
    and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
⁶ Let beer be for those who are perishing,
    wine for those who are in anguish!
⁷ Let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+31%3A4-9&version=NIV

 

[bax]

many of the republican voters want republicans to punish the unemployed and welfares. so this kind of shaming is not working, in my opinion.

 

remember republicans think "its ok for me to smoke weed because i have a job and pay taxes" but "its not ok for someone getting unemployment/welfare to smoke weed because they shouldnt spend tax dollars on weed".

 

and flower rand paul for voting for this.

 

the states that did it see that welfare people use less drugs than normal people.

Edited March 26, 2017 by bax

[cristinew]

Rand Paul did not stand up for Kratom  either   He is no Ron Paul for sure.

[Dalbert]

_{Maybe they should drug test folks before they pay taxes. We wouldn't want to tax people who use illegal drugs, would we?}