After the midterm elections which political handicappers give House Republicans favored odds of taking control of the House of Representatives, during the time in between the election itself and seating the newly elected, Democrats plan of slamming up to 20 bills through what is referred to as the "lame duck" session.
The Hill reports:
Democrats are considering cramming as many as 20 pieces of legislation into the lame-duck session they plan to hold after the Nov. 2 election.
The array of bills competing for floor time shows the sense of urgency among Democratic lawmakers to act before the start of the 112th Congress, when Republicans are expected to control more seats in the Senate and House.
Reportedly some of that agenda will including but not limited to; DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell), The DREAM Act (giving illegal immigrants up to 35 yrs of age, amnesty), and Tax issues.
Republican Senator Jim DeMint vows to stop the lame duck congress from jamming anything through that has not already been approved and not letting Democrats take advantage and abuse their power in those months after the American people vote and decide who they want running the House of Representatives.
South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint warned Monday evening that he would block all legislation that has not been cleared by his office in the final days of the pre-election session.
Bret Bernhardt, DeMint's chief of staff, said in an e-mail to GOP aides that his boss would place a hold on all legislation that has not been cleared by both parties by the end of the day Tuesday.
Any senator can place a hold to block legislation — and overcoming that would require the Senate to take time-consuming steps to invoke cloture, which would require 60 votes.
If voters do hand control of the House of Representatives to the GOP, then Democrats should not try to pass any controversial bills, allowing the will of the people to know their voices were heard and understood.
If voters do not hand control to the GOP and instead vote to leave the Democrats as the majority in the House, then DeMint should not use those specific rules to block everything but allow bills to be won or lost with up or down votes.
The voters should be the last word in whether Democrats should continue setting the agenda, and to use the time in between the election and the seating and/or handing over control to force issues against the election results, would indeed be a tremendous abuse of power and further proof that Democrats do not care what the American people, those they swore to represent, actually want.
The midterm election should be the deciding factor, that is why we have elections to begin with and both parties should respect the will of the people after November.
Related:
Tradition Values Coalition has a petition to stop the lame duck congress. (Photo credit for image above goes to them)
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