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Lame-Duck Session Leaves Much to be Desired

Published 11/21/08 Dustin Ensinger - Print Article
E-mail - editor@economyincisis.org

Leaving town having accomplished few, if any, of the goals laid out by Democrats before reconvening Congress for a lame-duck session - one in between an election and the swearing in of a new Congress and president - proves yet again what an exercise in futility a post-election session of Congress truly is.

With the country still mired in recession, the auto industry on the brink of failure, unemployment mounting and a high level of consumer anxiety gripping shoppers going into the holiday shopping season, the most recent Congressional session could most aptly be described as an utter failure.

With high hopes following a sweeping victory on Nov. 4, Democrats planned to pursue an ambitious agenda before they could even reap the benefits of an expanded majority and an ideological ally in the White House. That agenda, however, was thwarted by a minority party licking its wounds and trying to regroup. Democrats were only able to pass a meager extension of unemployment benefits.

Little progress was made on the auto industry front, with the White House and Congressional Republicans staunchly opposed to offering up any monetary aid to the Big Three. Democrats demanded that the auto companies present a plan to retool their plants to Congress by Dec. 2. If that does happen, Democrats are expected to call Congress back for another lame-duck session before year’s end.

One of the reasons that lame-duck sessions tend to be so unsuccessful is the fact that outgoing members have no incentive to compromise, which is what makes democracy work.

“Somehow there is this thought that when you come back after an election that politics is over with and everybody is just going to tackle the issues,” said Donald K. Ritchie of the Senate Historical Office. “But the politics are the same, and people are now counting heads as to whether I’ll do better or worse in the next Congress. So it’s often not a very productive period.”

Source The Washington Post:

Democratic leaders, exuberant over their Election Day victories, called Congress back to Washington with ambitious plans to push an economic stimulus measure and throw a lifeline to the struggling auto industry. Now, amid fears of deflation, soaring unemployment, plummeting stock prices and deep consumer anxiety, lawmakers are leaving town having approved only a modest extension of jobless benefits.

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