The recent lame duck session if Congress achieved many good things and one horrible one. Nevertheless, it was so productive that Republicans are hell bent on making sure that they never again lose any portion the fruits gained over two years of extreme obstruction, because Democrats refuse to let them go home. As a result they want to make the lame duck an extinct species.
The lame duck session of Congress is in the books, with many touts lauding the post-election period of congresspersons actually doing things as the most productive lame duck ever. This sort of glosses over the fact that a lot of the sexier things that passed — the ratification of the START Treaty, health benefits for 9/11 first responders, and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — were wildly popular with the public and should have been considered "no-brainers." Plus, everyone got a tax cut, because this is the last season of Oprah.
Of course, many in the GOP ranks hated all that productivity, because what’s the point of months and months of pointless obstruction if the American people end up seeing what Congress is capable of doing in a few weeks? Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) got very sad about the lame duck session, complaining that "Harry Reid has eaten our lunch." [Faux Noise delinked] And Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) yelped that Reid and Nancy Pelosi have thrown a "pie in the face of the American people." Were the cafeterias not open during the lame duck session, or something?
Credit Rep. Michele Bachmann, at least, for eschewing food metaphors in favor of all-out alarm Faux Noise delinked]:
If you want my real opinion, the lame duck is awful. In my opinion it is unconstitutional. The 20th amendment passed in 1933 was meant to eliminate all future lame duck sessions. Congress didn’t want to see happen what is happening now.
Again, Congress could have prevented this by being more conscientious during the pre-Election Day legislative session. But, whatever! Naturally, now there is a movement afoot to get rid of lame duck sessions altogether. Per Dave Weigel:
Little-noticed over the holiday week: Rep. Lynn Jenkins tweeting this promise.
"I will re-introduce the End the Lame Duck Act to prevent power grabs as we’ve seen at the end of this session."
… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Huffington Post>
Batshit Bachmann was correct that the intent of the 20th Amendment was to end the lame dick, but she lied about the reasons. The purpose was not to prevent mas legislation at all. It was to keep members of Congress who lived in the west from having to spend days on trains returning to DC for a short session, as this was before there were airlines. Republicans are opposing the duck with a litany of lies, as Rachel Maddow’s Executive Producer, Bill Wolff, and columnist Eugene Robinson discuss.
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I agree with Robinson. This is political theatre. Republicans love to rile their base with non-issues, so I predict with confidence that the duck will fly again.
8 Responses to “Can Republicans Kill the Lame Duck?”
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The republicans do not want to see good legislation passed by congress during any session. They want to prove that government is bad and does not work. That’s why when they are in power, the appoint incompetent people to run it, and when they are out of power they do everything they can to obstruct it.
Republicans are the problem with government!
Amen, Jerry!
Short answer: Nope – the 20th Amendment is pretty clear.
It’s just the “white whine” party of sour grapes – so eloquently summarized by Sen. Lindsey Graham:
Thanks, Nameless. Isn’t it amazing how Republicans will fold when faced with the horror of missing vacation time.
Well, when they had both the House and the Senate, they only worked 3 days a week. Remember how they whined when Nancy told them they would be there 5 days a week, like everyone else? They called the Dems every name in the book, including anti family because they had to work like everyone else. Bunch of whiny crybabies they are. 🙄
the 11th isn’t the first nor will it be the last dysfunctional congress. I have to laugh because both sides were forced into bi partisanship because they wanted to go home. Reid should have kept the senate in session right up until the day of the switchover. They have (had a backlog of over 400 bills passed by the house waiting on action.
We pay these pontificating pricks to fucking work—make them work like dogs. They have done that to their constituencies. why should they even be there as a body if they refuse to move the nation forward? Maybe we need a part time legislative branch that meets for only three months in the summer. Think of all the money that would be saved then.
Mark, on that we agree.
I agree – we pay them, make them work. Make them work until they get shit done. Yeah, no one feels sorry for you assholes – we pay you a shit load of money, so you better be getting something done. 😡