I got this in my email yesterday from Congress.org:

Congress.org Newsletter <img border="0"> (http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/) Find Your Officials Enter Your Zip code: August 18, 2008
This Week in Congress

Your Headlines, Your Issues, Your Opinions

SHOULD NEEDY FAMILIES BE REQUIRED TO TAKE DRUG TESTS TO RECEIVE AID?
<img align="left" height="150" hspace="5" vspace="5" width="150"> Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) introduced a bill that would amend the Social Security Act to require States to implement a drug testing program for applicants for and recipients of assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. If an applicant fails a drug test, or was convicted of a drug related crime they can be denied aid. Also, states would be allowed to require random or set time drug tests. A person can be permanently denied aid if they fail three drug tests or receive three drug related convictions.
Read the details of the bill (http://capwiz.com/congressorg/utr/1/CRHEJCEMFG/CELUJCFFXI/2296898731) -The Drug Free Families Act of 2008
Tell Congress and the President if you support or oppose this bill or what you would do differently.

ACTION POLL: Pick the view that comes closest to your own. The choice of Congress is to vote this bill up or down or amend it. So if you support the idea but want to see it changed, pick the support option. If you think we should do something else, pick the oppose option. Be sure to personalize your response to make it more influential.

Yes, Support Drug Tests to Receive Federal Assistance (http://capwiz.com/congressorg/utr/1/CRHEJCEMFG/EROGJCFFXJ/2296898731)
No, Oppose Drug Tests to Receive Federal Assistance (http://capwiz.com/congressorg/utr/1/CRHEJCEMFG/KQUIJCFFXK/2296898731)






(http://www.rollcallgroup.com/convention/)




So let's deny assistance and aid to the people who need it the most. Let's not provide any sort of safety net for people who find themselves in the spiraling web of addiction and crime. Instead, let's give them every excuse possible to feel disenfranchised, discriminated against, disconfirmed and every other DIS in the english language.

This kind of legislation offends me-deeply-NOT as a wife of a convicted felon and a supporter of decriminalization of certain recreational drugs-but as a HUMAN BEING. Right now it's only a proposed amendment, and I am wondering if it's been put out there so the republicans can look "tough on drugs" because it's an election year.

If this amendment passes-how many families...how many children are going to be hurt by this?? (hint-rhetorical question!!!!)

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) introduced a bill that would amend the Social Security Act to require States to implement a drug testing program for applicants for and recipients of assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. If an applicant fails a drug test, or was convicted of a drug related crime they can be denied aid. Also, states would be allowed to require random or set time drug tests. A person can be permanently denied aid if they fail three drug tests or receive three drug related convictions.
Read the details of the bill (http://capwiz.com/congressorg/utr/1/CRHEJCEMFG/CELUJCFFXI/2296898731) -The Drug Free Families Act of 2008
Tell Congress and the President if you support or oppose this bill or what you would do differently.

ACTION POLL: Pick the view that comes closest to your own. The choice of Congress is to vote this bill up or down or amend it. So if you support the idea but want to see it changed, pick the support option. If you think we should do something else, pick the oppose option. Be sure to personalize your response to make it more influential.

Yes, Support Drug Tests to Receive Federal Assistance (http://capwiz.com/congressorg/utr/1/CRHEJCEMFG/EROGJCFFXJ/2296898731)
No, Oppose Drug Tests to Receive Federal Assistance (http://capwiz.com/congressorg/utr/1/CRHEJCEMFG/KQUIJCFFXK/2296898731)


So let's deny assistance and aid to the people who need it the most. Let's not provide any sort of safety net for people who find themselves in the spiraling web of addiction and crime. Instead, let's give them every excuse possible to feel disenfranchised, discriminated against, disconfirmed and every other DIS in the english language.

This kind of legislation offends me-deeply-NOT as a wife of a convicted felon and a supporter of decriminalization of certain recreational drugs-but as a HUMAN BEING. Right now it's only a proposed amendment, and I am wondering if it's been put out there so the republicans can look "tough on drugs" because it's an election year.

If this amendment passes-how many families...how many children are going to be hurt by this?? (hint-rhetorical question!!!!)

The whole family is hurt by this amendment not to mention the additional bureaucracy that it's going to take to run this.

To deny aid to a needy family where literately every penny counts, that obviously doesn't come from the burbs behind a white picket fence & manicured yards living on inheritance - to me - proves this country has turned into a "caste system." This legislation further extends the gap between the have's, barely have's and those who have fallen through the cracks.

How many families in America are broken right now due to a addicted parent(s) and with the economy the way it is right now, we're going to see more of it. Finally, I notice that this bill is coming from a Republican out of Louisiana (:confused: am i correct on that?). Shame on him!!!! :blah: There are hurricane Katrina victims that are still left behind from where they were 3 years ago!!!

NO-the way this bill looks now is that they have not thought of any solutions to the drug problem nor the long term consequences of passing laws such as this.

What happens to the mother that let her children's father come over and visit-he is a deadbeat, but she wants her child to have a relationship with him-he has drugs on him-she has no idea-he gets busted in her house.-she also gets charged- Most people busted with drugs receive more then one drug count. Should she lose all of her benefits because we have passed a law that will not even take in the circumstances?

The only ones affected will be the children. Poor people need jobs that pay them enough to provide the basic needs to their families and they need drug programs. Until these can be provided what use is it of passing this type of law? Who benefits from passing this law?

Obviously these lawmakers have never been in the position of not having food, shelter, utilities. They have not had to struggle. It is a proven fact that it is very hard to escape the poverty level from generation to generation. Some do make it out, but most do not. A parent making minimum wage also needs these programs to help subsidize the basic needs of their children. Many people on welfare programs DO WORK everyday. They are the ones that are cashiers at WalMart, they seat you at your favorite restaurant, they are the cashiers at your local gas station.

Once cut off from any of these types of programs, a mother will do what ever she has to do to provide the basic needs to her children. This is only human nature and instinct. We all ready have enough people in prisons for an inordinate amount of time for crimes.

This is not including how would they validate accurate testing-how would they pay for it-etc-ect-ect