“Helping” the Unemployed: Trump, GOP Expand Drug-Testing for Unemployment

Under the Obama administration, states were prohibited from drug testing unemployed people as a condition for receiving benefits. Two exceptions were made: (1) if the person lost his job due to illicit drug use, and (2) if the person’s occupation regularly requires drug testing (e.g., jobs that require use of firearm).

Pres. Trump signed a resolution last week (H.J.Res.42) that allows these rules to be rewritten.

The Department of Labor will rewrite rules or Congress will enact a follow-up law.

Either way, the “Ready to Work Act” will allow states to expand disqualification standards for unemployment based on drug testing people who apply for benefits.

Some questions to consider:

Today, drug or alcohol testing typically costs $50-$80 or more for a drug and alcohol urine or saliva test performed at a laboratory. Last year, 7.8 million were unemployed. If everyone were drug tested, that would cost $390 million per year. Who will pay for drug testing unemployment claimants? Taxpayers? Employers? Unemployed people?

Where will unemployed people who test positive-- and are denied all benefits-- turn for help for food and treatment?

Why use a drug test only for disqualifying people and not treating their problem?
Aren't a lot of these claimants the people Trump said need help in America's present state of "carnage"? How does this help the people battling opioid addiction in states such as Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia? 

Should the law be renamed? If so, how about “Ready to Panhandle at Every Stoplight in America”?