Issue 50.14
A lame duck is someone who is approaching the end of their term in office, especially when their successor has already been elected. A lame duck congress is one whose leadership will change when the new congress is sworn in. That will occur this election cycle on January 3rd. Until then, all legislative action in the Senate (whose leadership will change from Democrat control to Republican) is considered occurring during a “lame-duck” session. Most of that action is already concluded, but there is the possibility that other legislation could still be voted on.
The term, “lame duck,” was originally meant to convey the idea that the person or party, having been voted out by the electorate, was ineffectual or out of favor – much like a duck that can’t swim. Elected officials were supposed to realize that they or their ideas had been rejected and retire from the scene humbly, allowing the new representatives and leaders to take up the banner and move ahead with their mandate from the public.
It quickly became evident however, that unless those officials were going to try to get re-elected in a later vote, they could get away with doing whatever they wanted since they had already lost the election. This often opens the door to very poor decisions, pork-barrel politics (trying to get appropriations or favors that help their friends or even themselves as they leave office) and sometimes passing vindictive legislation to punish their enemies.
In the case of the President or Governors, they sometimes grant amnesties or favors to people or groups they owe favors to or that they want to curry favor with, looking toward their time after leaving office. Often, they try to play politics by shoving legislation through that will create problems for the “other” party so the “lame duck” can return to power later on.
Since our current President is in the last two years of office, he is in the “lame duck” mode. The Senate also will change leadership when the new congress is sworn in on January 3rd, 2015. Their leadership and many of the other Democrats that are leaving office are also in the same boat. Since they feel they have nothing to lose, many are openly stating that they are going to push through unpopular legislation before the first of January.
It is our responsibility to let our congressional representatives know that we will hold them accountable if they allow bad legislation to slip through Congress, or if they do not rescind illegal Executive Orders (such as the recent one changing immigration law) during this transition period. It is especially important to remind the leaders of the outgoing party WHO they were elected to serve and the oath they took to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Anything less than this brands them as people without integrity and unworthy of our trust as individuals and as a party. Those of opposing parties should be challenged to be especially vigilant as we go through this important transition period. There are those that would like to see us block any congressional or Presidential action that is not an emergency during a lame duck period. I think that idea has merit and should be considered for the future – especially as it pertains to Congress.
Lynn West is a thinker, a teacher and a patriot. You can reach him through email at forgingthefuture2021@gmail.com or through this newspaper. Liberty is a state of being which must be continually created. These articles can help all of us discover the ways we can contribute to that outcome.