U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined 24 Democratic colleagues in urging President Barack Obama to “ban the box” on applications for federal jobs.
The “ban the box” movement seeks to eliminate questions about criminal history on job applications, though it doesn’t prohibit employers from asking about convictions or making background checks.
“This policy would eliminate unnecessary barriers to employment for all job seekers and would give individuals re-entering the workforce the opportunity to apply for work based on their current merits rather than past wrongdoings,” said the letter signed by Warner and Kaine.
The senators asked that the criminal-history question also be eliminated in applications for contracting jobs.
Last month, Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order to ban the box from applications for most state jobs. Three cities in South Hampton Roads – Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach – have similar laws governing municipal job applications.
Read Senator Warner and Kaine’s full media release by clicking here.
