Well, we all thought it. And some of us said it. But one senator actually did it. Democratic member of the Kansas Senate, * Oletha Faust-Goudeau introduced an amendment requiring lawmakers to be subject to drug tests.
This controversial action came as a result of a bill requiring citizens to take drug tests in order to be eligible for welfare and unemployment. If citizens fail, they are refused or cut off from the government assistance.
Faust-Goudeau believes the same should apply for government lawmakers; after all, they are beneficiaries of government funding, as well. Faust-Goudeau says the current bill unfairly targets the poor and...
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” ~ Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau
Also in the proposed amendment: business owners who accept goverment funding would need to be tested. But that suggestion didn’t fly either; both were ultimately voted down, 29-7, not surprisingly. Opponents basically minimized and blew off Faust-Goudeau move to amend the current bill. Jeff Melcher, R-Leawood, called the suggested amendments “political theatrics.” (Nice silencing tactic, trying to make Faust-Goudeau's suggestion seem trite and ridiculous. I doubt that tactic will work on Faust-Goudeau, and I don't think this will be end of her 'theatrics.'
There is a lot at risk for those who do not pass the drug test mandated by the new bill. The first failure would require drug treatment and job skills programs. That’s not too bad. If you fail a second test, however, you would lose benefits for a year. A third failure would cause you too lose welfare or unemployment benefits for life. Pretty steep, especially for someone caught in the grip of addiction. It might take several attempts to get on the road to recovery.
Senate Vice President Jeff King, R-Independence, said the basic bill is an attempt to help people with addiction to get help — and prevent state tax dollars from being used to buy illegal drugs. That sounds fair – as long as the same applies to lawmakers and government-assisted business owners. All for one, one for all. It’s the only fair thing.
I will do a happy dance if drug testing for Congress becomes a federal law. A lot of the country would celebrate, if anything, for the irony and fairness of it all. And how refreshing to see more and more mighty and brave politicians like Faust-Goudeau, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Al Franken buck the system and status quo, by taking on Goliaths like big banks and the U.S. government. Here’s to those rabble-rousers… this is what ‘for the people’ looks like.
*Correction made. Thank you, cfm.
News Source: The Kansas City Star
(This diary was written by Salzillo, and cross-posted in
AddictingInfo.org to other blog sites.)