Of course and inactive Congress can steal from us, if they have put a tax rate increase time bomb in the federal code. So by not acting they will raise taxes and risk a double dip recession.
No “risk” about it. The only question would be whether stopping the increase would head it off. This economy is going D-A-A-O-W-N. Businesses and investors did all the activity they could this year planning to hunker down next year. And so it will be.
That is assuming that the Dems who are currently in congress care - they don’t. The lame duck session is lame.