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Don't Expect Much from Lame Duck Congress

Cal Thomas | Syndicated columnist | Tuesday, November 12, 2002

Don't Expect Much from Lame Duck Congress

The lame duck session of congress begins this week.  Don’t expect much to get done.  That is not necessarily bad. 

 

The last congress does, the less it costs us.  The question is what will republicans do with their new majority?  And the answer is, I don’t know.  And maybe the Republicans don’t know either.

     

Remember, this is not an ideological majority. Republicans still have a lot of so-called moderates, even liberals, who are not about to vote for anything that would limit abortion, or roll back the gains made by homosexual activists. Some are not even too thrilled about tax cuts and less spending. In other words, some republicans think and vote like some democrats.

 

Here’s something else to keep in mind.  On controversial issues, such as a pro-life judicial nominee to the Supreme Court, it would take 60 votes to end a filibuster by a single senator or a combination of senators opposed to such a nomination. 

 

That is difficult to do under the best of circumstances.  And, even though Republicans hold a slim majority in the senate and could possibly add one more seat in the Louisiana runoff next month, there are no guarantees that they will succeed should they adopt an activist agenda.

 

Just thought I’d warn you not to expect too much. 

 

I’m cal Thomas in Washington.

           

     

 

Don't Expect Much from Lame Duck Congress