Posted on 12/16/2014 7:00:39 AM PST by pabianice
Here's to seeing new things!
That is only true for the moment. If the rules allow the majority party to change a particular rule, then the GOP has a professional obligation to use that and other such rules to its advantage when it becomes majority party.
To not do so is negligence, or worse. Such reminds one of England’s refusal to read intelligence intercepts during the ‘30’s with the argument it is impolite to read another gentleman’s mail. England at the time also refused to finance intelligence operations because it didn't want to provoke Hitler. History is clear as to how that worked out.
Flip (who along with Jonathan Winters must be on the list of the top 5 or 10 comedians of all time) refers to the McCain collaborator wing of the Republican party and I fear he is correct.
On the other hand, a move such as Revel advocates, refusing every nomination during the remainder of Obama’s term would certainly grow the voting base of the GOP.
Quislings leading the GOP “controlled” House and Senate?
Wow. Talk about xforming Amerika.
Happy holidays!
The 20th Amendment reduced the lame duck period from four months to two months. The Constitution originally stated that Congressional terms began March 4. The 20th Amendment, ratified in early 1933, moved that date up to January 3.
That’s incorrect. Article 1, section 4 states the first Monday of December as the date when a new congress would convene. This was normal for the colonies, as their legislative business was conducted during the winter, when there was little else to do.
It was the presidential inauguration date that was moved back to January 20th from March 4th.
Thanks for the correction.
What was the reasoning for shortening the lame duck session? There’s no way we’d ever get it passed but perhaps the same logic could be applied to abolish the lame duck session all together.
No, you are wrong.
Until the 20th Amendment, new members of Congress were not sworn in until March 4 - Per U.S. Code Title 2 Chapter 1 Section 1 (http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/2/1). See the notes tab at that link for the change in that law required by the 20th Amendment.
The Constitution originally required Congress to meet at least once a year, in December. Since new members were not sworn in until three months later, that meant that the required December session of Congress often included lame duck members. The 20th Amendment changed the required Congressional session and the swearing in of new members to January so they were concordant instead of separated by three months.
I stand corrected!
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