Thread: The everlasting lame duck session

When will there be an end? When they are finished

December 21, 2010

The everlasting lame duck session

Rick Moran
12 Comments

The Democrats have had massive majorities in Congress for two years. But being liberals, they have decided to try and ram as much of their agenda through the back door of a lame duck session of Congress as they possibly can. Since many of their ideas are wildly unpopular (or politically difficult), they find it much easier to get defeated lawmakers to vote for the pet projects since they don't have to worry about backlash from the voters anymore. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46634.html

The problem is, even liberals like Christmas and there doesn't appear to be any logical means to stop the Democrats from keeping the lame duck session going until Santa has come and gone:

There's still no clear endgame in sight as Democrats struggle to close out the lame-duck session of Congress in time for Christmas.

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty is in limbo, the continuing resolution funding the government is still lingering, a Sept. 11 first responders bill is still on the table and a food safety measure is still awaiting a final vote in the final days of the Democratic majority. In fact, some House aides are not ruling out the possibility of a post-Christmas session to finish the Sept. 11 bill if time runs out this week.

The uncertainty has thrown into serious doubt the one-day schedule the House had planned for the week, and House aides expect the chamber to be in session through Wednesday. The Senate may stay a day longer to finish its work.

Indeed, for lawmakers and aides who were hoping for some downtime before the holiday break, Democrats in charge have other ideas. The late-session legislative flurry comes as defeated lawmakers are working out of basement cubicles, some aides are looking for new jobs, and others are transitioning into power. In fact, some offices are in the midst of moving - boxes fill the hallway outside incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's Capitol office. Both Democrats and Republican lawmakers are hardly happy to come back to D.C. for the short session. There's even now talk on the House side of bringing the body back into session after Christmas if the Senate can pass the Sept. 11 bill.

Pelosi/Reid's last hurrah before the GOP starts a massive clean up effort.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/201 ... _sess.html

Does anyone know when the lame-duck session officially ceases?

Can this continue until January 3, 2011?

A "lame duck" session of Congress in the United States occurs whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected, but before the successor's term begins. The expression is now used not only for a special session called after a sine die adjournment, but also for any portion of a regular session that falls after an election. In current practice, any meeting of Congress after election day, but before the following January 3, is a lame duck session.[1] Prior to 1933, when the 20th Amendment changed the dates of the congressional term, the last regular session of Congress was always a lame duck session.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lame_duck_ ... ted_States)

Originally Posted by Coulrophobe

Does anyone know when the lame-duck session officially ceases?

Can this continue until January 3, 2011?

Yes I believe January 3..January 4 the new congress takes over.

So, Harry Reid and his cronies and just keep proposing as many unpopular bills as possible until it January 4?

If so, what a nightmare and abuse of power!