Top House Dem Dismisses GOP "Conspiracy Theory" on Lame Duck Session

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

A top House Democrat dismissed as a "manufactured...conspiracy theory" Republican fears that the majority will attempt to push major - and controversial - pieces of legislation through the Congress in a lame duck session this fall.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who serves in the Democratic leadership as an assistant to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told Fox News in an interview Monday it was likely the House would reconvene after voters go to the polls on November 2. In this, Van Hollen went further than Pelosi herself, who last month responded to a reporter's question about the prospect of a lame duck session by quipping: "We're having a lame duck? Are you making an announcement here today?"

"The probability is that we'll have some lame duck session to do the regular business of the people," Van Hollen said. Veterans of Capitol Hill expect that Congress will have to reconvene in the weeks before Thanksgiving, if only to tackle major spending bills for Fiscal Year 2011.

GOP lawmakers have raised the specter in recent weeks of the Democrats using a lame duck session to advance measures that the majority either did not introduce - or did not have the votes to pass - during the regular session now approaching its end.

Among these red flag items arousing Republican fears are the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as "card check," which would make it easier to unionize in non-union workplaces; the climate change legislation known as "cap and trade"; and anything even remotely resembling a tax increase.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has already outlined plans to convene two lame duck sessions in the upper chamber, one before Thanksgiving and another after the holiday. In addition to the spending bills, Reid has suggested he might seek to enact a new round of loans and tax breaks for small businesses. He has also spoken about trying to implement rapidly some of the recommendations put forward by the deficit-reduction commission that President Obama appointed, and whose findings are due to be submitted by December 1. The panel's recommendations could include a value added tax.

"They want to push it all until after the election," Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., told Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto on July 30. "They want to push these -- the card check thing, the union thing, the tax hikes -- off until after the election, possibly the energy tax -- off until after the election....The American people are sick and tired of that kind of politics."

Price has introduced, to almost certain defeat or relegation to the legislative sidelines, a measure that would bind the Democrats to foregoing a lame duck session. He and other Republicans suggest such a session will embolden outgoing Democrats to cast votes they would not in regular session.
________

And you can believe Democrats when they say there's no conspiracy, right? Riiiiight.

[Sabre86]

This just means they are absolutely planning to try and ramrod through as much as they possible can.

[Casino67]

I haven't followed the Congress for a long time, but still can't remember these kinds of issues ever coming up before. I guess it is what happens in post-partisan world.

[Argyle58]

Kind of hard to say a Lame Duck push is a "Conspiracy Theory" when none other than John Kerry proclaiming that he will use the upcoming Lame Duck session to push through the new START Treaty:

 

 

From Humanevents.com:

 

New START Treaty

 

This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could vote to approve the new treaty on Strategic Arms Reduction, or START treaty. Chairman John Kerry (D.-Mass.) is rushing consideration of the treaty, leaving little time for the American people to understand its unfortunate consequences. The treaty would undermine America’s national security, because it fails to address Russia’s massive tactical nuclear arsenal, limits America’s missile-defense capabilities and ignores Iran and North Korea’s nuclear developments. Senators must weigh each of these concerns seriously. They also need to discuss whether the verification measures are sufficient, since the Russians have a history of cheating on treaties.

 

As well as Climate Change legislation:

 

From The Hill:

 

Kerry eyes lame duck climate fight

By Ben Geman - 07/23/10 09:26 AM ET

 

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is suggesting a climate change bill could have better prospects in a lame-duck session.

 

Kerry made the comments to Bloomberg as the Senate abandoned plans to move on climate change legislation before the August break. The decision is expected to prevent a vote on the matter this year, though Kerry is still offering hope.

 

 

 

 

 

“I have to tell you, this is not dead. We are going to continue to work. It may well be that after the election — if that is what happens — I mean, we will continue to try over the next weeks, but if it is after the election, it may well be that some members are free and liberated and feeling that they can take a risk or do something. Or, you know, the whole political landscape may have changed in some way,” Kerry said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital With Al Hunt” that will be broadcast this weekend.

 

 

[AceRimmer]

This just means they are absolutely planning to try and ramrod through as much as they possible can.

 

What Reid and Pelosi won't say is that they're going try to ram Card Check and Cap & Tax through in the lame duck sessions. The GOP better be ready, because the RATS, especially if they lose the House(which I think they will), will try to do it.