A powerful House committee has again blocked attempts by a Democratic congressman to end the practice of drug testing federal job applicants for marijuana as part of large-scale spending bills.
The House Rules Committee declined to make in order for floor votes the amendments from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), who has filed versions of the reform proposal as part of multiple appropriations bills this session.
This time, the congressman filed proposed revisions to spending bills for the Departments of Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies, as well as for the legislative branch.
With certain exceptions, the amendments state that the covered agencies couldn’t use their funding “for testing applicants for marijuana.”
Garcia has also filed the cannabis job applicant protections measure for other appropriations bills covering Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, as well as Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, that are expected to be taken up by the Rules Committee soon.
Previously, the congressman introduced similar versions of the amendment—all of which have been blocked—for the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS); Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (Ag-FDA); and State and Foreign Operations.
Another version of the amendment that the committee kept from being considered
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