In a bold and unflinching op-ed titled “We Need to Start Drug Testing Every Government Employee to Save Our Economy,” David Bell issues a stark warning:
America’s mounting debt, rampant government waste, and lurking national security threats are being compounded by an issue few in Washington are willing to confront — drug use among government employees.
Bell’s call to action is as sweeping as it is controversial. “I’m not just talking about safety-sensitive jobs, like transportation, military, or law enforcement,” he writes. “Sure, those people absolutely need to be drug tested regularly, and in most cases, already are. I’m also talking about our elected officials, appointed roles, like judges, agency heads, and ambassadors, and even rank and file bureaucrats. Every. Single. Government. Employee.”
A Decades-Old Concern
Bell makes clear this is not a newfound crusade. “I’ve actually held this view for a long time. Well over a decade, in fact,” he writes. And while he readily discloses that his company might benefit from such a sweeping mandate, he dismisses the notion that his advocacy is financially self-serving. “That’s unlikely, because a program of that scale would require a company far larger than mine, so one of these mega corporations would probably get most if not all of that work anyway.”
His motivation, he insists, is rooted in safeguarding America’s economy and national security, not self-enrichment. “I still believe this needs to happen, both for the safety and financial security of every American.”
An Overdue Reality Check
Bell doesn’t mince words when it comes to the fiscal crisis facing the nation. “The United States is currently $36 trillion dollars in debt,” he states, “and that number continues to grow at a maniacal pace.” He points out that interest payments on that debt now exceed the country’s entire military budget, an unsustainable trajectory that he ties directly to “poor judgment and corruption,” both of which, he argues, are “exacerbated by substance abuse.”
His critics, he anticipates, will scoff at the notion that government drug use is a widespread problem. But Bell is unwavering. “Yes, I absolutely am,” accusing officials of having a drug problem, he responds. “It’s a fairly well known ‘open secret’ that drugs are prevalent among the DC elite.”
Disturbing Data from the Capital
Bell reinforces his claim with chilling statistics. Citing a recent study, he notes that Washington, D.C., ranks:
- 2nd in adult illicit drug use
- 1st in drug overdose deaths per capita
- 4th in adults who couldn’t get treatment for drug use
- 3rd in drug treatment facilities per 100,000 people
- 11th in teenage illicit drug use
“When you consider that if the district was a state, it would rank fiftieth by population, ahead of only Wyoming,” he writes, “those rankings become even more alarming.”
Drug Use and Fiscal Sabotage
Bell sees a direct line between unchecked drug use in government and the reckless financial decisions that have worsened America’s economic outlook. “While our elected officials and the bureaucrats who do their bidding have proven time and time again that they’re more than willing to spend our money irresponsibly,” he writes, “that’s almost certainly driven to some degree by substance abuse.”
The implications go beyond bloated budgets and bad decisions. Bell warns that addiction among government personnel opens the door to blackmail, coercion, and ultimately policy manipulation. “People with a substance abuse problem pose a significant national security threat,” he explains, “because they can be manipulated by blackmailing them to either influence policies, or to access sensitive information. The financial impact of either can be devastating.”
He cautions that just one major security lapse or compromised official, under the wrong conditions, could “tank our economy in one fell swoop.”
This should be a sobering thought for all.
Drug Testing as Economic Triage
For Bell, the solution is not incremental reform, but massive systemic change.
That starts with mandatory drug testing across the entire federal workforce. “This problem becomes even more apparent when we consider the egregious spending that’s recently been uncovered by DOGE,” he writes. He argues that pairing drug testing with the waste-cutting efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency could be a powerful two-pronged strategy.
His reasoning is rooted in hard economics: “For the financial wellbeing of America as a country as well as our fellow citizens, I believe it’s critical that we demand drug testing be implemented for all government employees.” He frames it not as a moralistic crusade, but as a practical step toward accountability and fiscal recovery.
A Nation at the Edge
Bell ends with a clear warning: the cost of inaction could be catastrophic. “If we don’t,” he writes, “we’ll see America’s credit rating decline, inflation grow, and interest rates climb, likely leading to a recession.”
And in that scenario, he argues, the U.S. would be uniquely vulnerable. “With little manufacturing, energy production, or gold reserves, that could be the death blow, financially speaking, for our country.”
His conclusion is stark: “Bottom line — we need to start drug testing every government employee to save our economy.”
Bell’s proposal may be controversial, but his message is clear: without serious accountability inside the federal government, America’s fiscal survival is at risk.
