June 5th, 2011
10:48 AM ET
7 years ago
Florida governor defends measure requiring drug tests for welfare
(CNN) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday defended recent legislation that requires adults applying for welfare assistance to undergo drug screenings, saying the law provides "personal accountability."
"It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for somebody's drug addiction," Scott told CNN's T.J. Holmes on Sunday. "On top of that, this is going to increase personal responsibility, personal accountability. We shouldn't be subsidizing people's addiction."
FULL STORY
From CNN Politics
- Trump declared he's running again. Many Republicans aren't ready to back him. April 19, 2018 11:22 am
- Haley's retort shows why she's unique in Trump's White House April 19, 2018 12:53 am
- Trump offers no signals he'll fire Mueller or Rosenstein April 18, 2018 11:35 pm
- Former Trump lawyer says he warned the President that Cohen could turn against him April 19, 2018 02:01 am
- Obama: Parkland students 'are shaking us out of our complacency' April 19, 2018 04:48 pm
- Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says he'll support Trump in 2020 April 19, 2018 04:50 pm
Good for you Gov. Rick Scott for taking a stand on this. About time someone had the backbone to do something like this. If you're on welfare and clean of drugs you have nothing to worry about. All the ones on welfare and drugs find some other way to get your drugs because the hard working tax payer is sick and tired of paying for your addiction!!!
As a lifelong Democrat, I fully agree with this Governor and I wish more Government agencies would have a strigent requirements before handing out blank checks
Does the drug test include scans for oxycoton, percocet, and vicoden? Probably not
War on Drugs is a long history most policies failed
SO Gov. Rick Scott needs some advice from GOP presidential candidates Gary Johnson and Ron Paul
I personally think they should be testing state and federal legislators on a daily basis when the legislature is in session. I dearly hope that some of these people have been on drugs when they pass these laws, because I would hate to think that someone would do something like this sober!
Added costs. Government reaching into and defining private lives in more and more ways. People who don't pass the standards of the Inquisition are cast into a pool of disenfranchised where they will be looked down upon by a society of elites. That is a horrible vision for the future; a bipolar society. What sort of values does the Governer have?
I would think someone addicted to drugs or alcohol needs help to make them a more productive member of society. Not cast aside. Not kicked to the curb. Not excluded from jobs. Not forced into a life of crime. It makes no sense. The Governer offers no solutions for those who fail. They become outcasts and a weight on society because these people will not just disappear.
As a liberal, I agree.
How convenient that these mandated tests would be performed by companies that the state designates.
This policy smells of having to prove your innocence, which is unconstitutional.
In some ways I fell the governor of Florida is right about drug testing and tax payers paying but you need to look at it for each case there are a few that use different drugs for Health ones that just use to be high or to use like drinking smoking I say NO WAY
then the same standard should apply to our politicians
This is going to cost Florida MILLIONS if not TRILLIONS. What happens when a recipient is DENIED? Will they be offered a drug rehab program – sponsored by the government? If so, how will these recipients pay for it?
When the people from Florida elected this governor, they got what they wanted and they deserve all of him. Republicans campaigned one way during the 2010 campaign – got in office – then did a complete turnaround – look @ Wisconsin!!!
Looks like the Scott empire has some investment in the drug testing buisness. If he runs it like he ran his medical buisness I guess he will retire again before the compay gets a big FINE like his last venture. Maybe as a last resort he will sign it over to his wife like he tried with the Solantic healh buisness. that should get his ratings lower than the 29% it is now.
Go Rick Scott!!! True accountability is needed in America! GOP 2012!
It would be interesting to know how much of other peoples money Goldman-Sachs executives spent on cocaine. Don't hear much complaining about them, do you?
How does Mr. Scott reconcile is hand in medicare fraud when he was CEO at HCA? And in Florida to boot. He is like most of the Republican Governors- A HYPOCRIT!!!