Blog Stage 3

In Bryce Covert blog on the HuffPost, he informs his readers how republicans has emplaced another obstacle for those in need of government assistance. Covert intended audience is the lower and middle class. Covert states that republicans have placed new rules that allow states to impose a drug test on people who lose their jobs and need unemployment insurance to get through the dry spell. Covert argues that the policy change is supposedly about helping become wok ready but in reality it is about stigmatizing the assistance they need. Covert goes on to describe how the intent of the drug test are shady and if the agenda was to help, they would implement a road to recovery. He continues to argues that the drug test are a blockade have erected between poor people and the help they need. Covert uses statistics to back his claims of the new policies of being intrusive by stating " Over the past four years states have drug tested a share of the population that gets TANF benefits and come back with minuscule numbers of positive results". Covert sates the real purpose of the tests are to deter people from applying for public benefits. I agree with Coverts arguments in the article. Applying for benefits can be very difficult and instead of being helped with open arms the policies put in place have created judgement and intrusiveness to the people who need the benefits most.