Amazing.
(Washington Times) — The push from federal lawmakers to protect the unemployed from discrimination has heated up considerably since Congressman Louie Gohmert, Texas Republican, went to the the floor of the House last week and highlighted a portion of President Barack Obama’s jobs bill that prohibits employers from discriminating against potential employees as a result of one’s unemployed status.
“We are adding in this bill a new protected class called ‘unemployed.’ Titled on page 129 prohibition of discrimination in employment on the basis of an individual’s status as unemployed and it says right here in the findings, ‘. . . that we find the denial of unemployment opportunities to individuals because of their status as unemployed is discriminatory and burdens commerce,'” Congressman Gohmert said in disbelief. . . .
“I don’t think the [Obama Jobs] bill created [the unemployed.] I think the Bush tax cuts created it. There’s a class of unemployed people, but obviously the bill did not create the class,” Congressman Danny Davis, Illinois Democrat, told me on Tuesday evening.
Mr. Davis responded to Mr. Gohmert’s remarks about lawsuit the Texas Republican says the unemployed would be able to make as a result of creating another protected class of individuals.
“It’s not lawsuits that I’m looking for. I’m looking for work opportunities, and if it takes lawsuits to get work opportunities, then so be it,” Rep. Davis said. “I’m not sure there would be any lawsuits. I think this is all highly speculative, and if lawsuits are created as a result of jobs being created, you know we’re not talking about things being created. We’re talking about things being protected,” he added.