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Not-So-Lame Duck Session

Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2022
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by AMAC, Robert B. Charles
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11 Comments
lame duck

A “lame duck” session of Congress is the stretch between an election and new members are sworn in, usually marked by low activity. The next Congress will be sworn in January 3, 2023. The notion of a “lame duck” implies not much will fly – but watch out this year!

If trends hold, Democrats will lose control of the US House, while holding the US Senate. Tradition favors respect in conduct of business in lame duck, especially if power is shifting. But do not expect that now. Respect seems out of style.  

The hostility level is so high, rhetoric so loud, Congressional hubris so stifling, anything could happen. This may be a “not-so-lame duck” session. If emotion replaces facts, expect action.

What should we expect? Realistically, the same sort of freewheeling we saw over the last two years, plus an effort to “gild the lily” with hyper-leftist legislation. Many think this not possible, given a filibuster requiring 60 senate votes, but even respect for the filibuster could fade.

What could happen “lip service” for the filibuster, and exceptions granted by the Senate majority to secure a few key bills, before one-party control of both chambers and the White House ends.

Here is a “short list.”

First, Democrats may push to codify Roe v. Wade – replacing the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, finding no “constitutional right” to abortion, with a statute that legalizes “late term,” “near-birth,” and “gender preference” abortions – for “reproductive health.”

The idea is to use the federal “supremacy clause” to silence State efforts to protect unborn children at 15 weeks, often with exceptions. Democrats aim to “federalize abortion rights.”

Second, expect Biden’s executive decision to pay off half a trillion in educational loans to potentially get legislative legs, ending court action. The irony is that, even if legislatively adopted, this is money comes from middle-class pockets. This is “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

Most see this for what it is, “buying votes” from a slipping, younger demographic. The bill could stand alone or pass by emergency appropriations, with minimal or no Republican support.

Third, expect serious talk about a major “omnibus” bill that finalizes high Fiscal Year 2023 spending, long resisted by Republicans. Currently, “annual spending bills” for FY23, which began on October 1, 2022, are not done.

Congress passed what is called a “continuing resolution” that is scheduled to end – rather conveniently – in mid-December. That bill kept the government going at last year’s size. Now, the goal will be to get a last bite at the “appropriations apple,” pushing moderate Republicans.

Fourth, expect Democrats – who hate the “debt ceiling,” a means for theoretically controlling federal debt –to raise it, but also to press to eliminate it entirely as it embarrasses them.

Yes, eliminating the “debt ceiling vote” could be done.  The idea is quieting discussion of how to reduce the 31-trillion-dollar national debt and annual deficits, pretending it does not exist.

Most Americans see federal overspending on things no one needs with money no one has – as bad. Debt creates high inflation, unemployment, and high interest rates for consumers.   

A double irony is that all this new spending – seven trillion dollars in 20 months – is a double disaster, as higher interest is not just for credit cards, but the national debt. We pay twice.

Sadly, all that was avoidable, and perhaps Republicans can claw back some of the overspending – but Democrats would like to pretend debt does not matter. Watch the debt ceiling debated.

Fifth, more pet projects will get discussed, possibly put into legislation – including corporate punishment, higher taxes, anti-fossil fuel, pro-China, and social reengineering bills, plus federal education control, instant-on citizenship, and other leftist projects – for 2024.

Sxith, expect discussion about limiting or packing the US Supreme Court. This may be the last two months Democrats have one-party control for a while, and they know it.

Finally, expect something simpler, seen in recent years. It bothers patriotic Americans. Respect for longstanding traditions, spoken and unspoken, moral and social, legal and religious, congressional and national – may again come under fire.

House Democrats know they have a last shot at “enemies of the state,” as the President calls them – those who favor limited government, lower taxes, strong defense, and moral compass.

Normally, a “lame duck” session is slow, low tempo, and quiet, as old members of Congress prepare to leave, but this may be different. This duck does not look so lame. We may see things come off the water.  We can hope level heads prevail, but we live in a time with lots of flapping and quacking, so expect this to be a “not-so-lame” session.

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GTPatriot
GTPatriot
1 year ago

Also expect the hammer to drop on Trump. Another Mara-Lago raid is probable. Jan 6 committee goes bonkers in its last gasp to nail Trump.

DDS
DDS
1 year ago

Yes, a lot of flapping and quacking! No one has said it better!

Pete from St Pete
Pete from St Pete
1 year ago

How about conferring statehood on Washington DC which votes overwhelmingly Democratic? The additional electoral college votes would make it nearly impossible for a Republican to ever win the presidency again.

legally present
legally present
1 year ago

You forgot their propensity for “immigration reform” meaning Amnesty for ALL.

Gloria
Gloria
1 year ago

Their goal is to destroy our nation and for the WEF to become gods of the oligarchs, at the expense of the innocent. Child sacrifice is the plan of Satan. Until people wake up and bring God back as Lord of this nation, we will see only more corruption and more child sacrifices. The end result being the tribulation and death of our world. Justice will demand it.

Jeb
Jeb
1 year ago

This lame duck session is the last opportunity, for the time being, to pass as much as possible as fast as possible. The unanswered question, what will the democratic congress do in the next 45 days.

jocko
jocko
1 year ago

DEPORT ALL liberals AND illegals, STAT, TO MAGA

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
1 year ago

To achieve Nothing again

PaulE
PaulE
1 year ago

RBC,

I expect we’ll see a flurry of end of year bills being rushed through Congress to maximize the damage the Democrats can inflict on the country before they depart for winter recess. The usual practice that has been enshrined by both parties of Congress as a justification for NOT reading any of the bills or having any rebates either.

Normally nothing you’ve listed would have a chance of getting to Biden’s desk for his signature and enactment into law without the cooperation from some of the usual Senate Republicans who frequently “walk across the aisle” to give the Democrats the 60 votes they need to get anything done. I expect if McConnell gets re-elected to Majority Leader of the Republicans in the Senate once again, he will be one of the RINOs “walking across the aisle” to help Democrats pass as much cr@p as they can before year’s end. After all RINOs “walking across the aisle” in the Senate are why we ended up with an Infrastructure Bill that was mostly progressive social engineering policies, a CHIPs Act that was basically completely unnecessary and an Inflation Reduction Act that was nothing more than a climate change and tax hike bill. All of which helped fuel the massive amount of federal spending that created the worst inflation we’ve seen in 40 years.

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