Conservative Leaders Urging GOP Leadership Not to Hold a "Lame-Duck" Session
April 14, 2016
Washington, D.C.
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader of the Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Leader and Mr. Speaker:
As the 114th Congress approaches the midpoint of its second session, we the undersigned urge you to not hold a so-called "lame duck" session at the end of this year.
Historically, lame duck sessions have been used by both parties to enact backroom deals that are neither beneficial to the American people nor representative of their will as expressed in the elections of only a few days or weeks before. Past lame duck sessions have produced, among other actions, massive tax and spending increases, increases in the gasoline tax, pay raises for members of Congress, and ratifications of treaties that threaten U.S. sovereignty.
At a time when the American people's trust in their government is near an all-time low, the Republican-led Congress should demonstrate exemplary behavior by completing its work before the November elections so that voters can judge all the legislators on the basis of the votes they have cast. Because legislators who have been defeated in an election or are retiring are no longer accountable to the voters for their votes, any actions taken which required their votes are essentially undemocratic.
The Republican-led Congress must not provide President Obama with an additional opportunity to enact his agenda of progressive social engineering programs and job-killing economic policies before he leaves office. A lame duck session would be his swan song: He can be expected to leave no arm untwisted, no threat unmade, no quid un-quod, to get his dream-policies enacted, his liberal judges confirmed, and his international agreements approved. And all of it could be done without any concern for what the voters actually want because neither he nor the departing legislators will ever face the voters again. We think that's a bad way to run a democracy.
After the death of Justice Antonin Scalia a few weeks ago, Leader McConnell stated that "the American people, rather than a lame duck president whose priorities and policies they just rejected in the most-recent national election, [should] be afforded the opportunity" to fill the resulting vacancy on the Supreme Court. We respectfully suggest that the American people deserve that same opportunity with regard to confirming other federal judges, as well as to passing legislation and making international agreements. It will be necessary, however, for Congress to hold pro forma sessions on a regular basis (as distinguished from regular legislating sessions) in order to prevent the president from making a recess appointment to the Supreme Court.
By promising now that there will be no lame duck session of Congress (except, of course, in the case of an unforeseen sudden emergency requiring immediate federal action) the Republican-led Congress can take an important first step in restoring the American people's trust in their government. By making it absolutely clear that there will not be a lame duck session, the Republican leaders in Congress will encourage all members of Congress to complete the people's work in an orderly manner before the elections, putting an end to the unfortunate practice of recent years of governing by manufactured "cliffs and crises" at the end of the year.
The American people want, and should have, good representation by their elected officials. The way to get good representation is by having the opportunity to hold those officials accountable. True accountability means finishing Congress' work for the year before the November elections and not holding a lame duck session.
Respectfully,
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Former Attorney General President Ronald Reagan (ARRA News Service Author) __________________________ | The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop Chairman, Conservative Action Project Former Advisor, President Ronald Reagan __________________________ |
| The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Former Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan | David Bozell President ForAmerica |
| Alfred S. Regnery Chairman Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund | The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. (ARRA News Service Author) |
| The Honorable Colin A. Hanna President Let Freedom Ring, Inc. | L. Brent Bozell, III Founder and President Media Research Center |
| David Williams President Taxpayers Protection Alliance | Kevin Kookogey President and Founder The Advancing Church |
| Allen J. Hebert Director, American Chinese Fellowship VP, Stallion Oilfield Services | Seton Motley President Less Government (ARRA News Service Author) |
| Belden Bell Goldens' Pond | Rae Bell Co-Chair, The Legacy Society |
| Quin Hillyer Veteran Conservative Columnist | Rick Manning President Americans for Limited Government (ARRA News Service Author) |
| Adam Brandon President & CEO FreedomWorks | Ron Robinson President Young America's Foundation |
| Art Ally President Timothy Plan Mutual Fund Family | Andrea Lafferty President Traditional Values Coalition (ARRA News Service Author) |
| Michael A. Needham Chief Executive Officer Heritage Action for America (ARRA News Service Author) | C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
| Susan Carleson Chairman/CEO ACRU | Willes K. Lee President National Federation of Republican Assemblies (ARRA News Service Author) |
| Tricia Erickson President Angel Pictures & Publicity | Tom McClusky Vice President of Government Affairs March For Life Action |
| David W. Preston Executive Director Oklahoma Wesleyan University Foundation | Penny Pullen President Life Advocacy Resource Project |
| Mike Spence President Conservative Republican of California | William H. Shaker President American Council for Health Care Reform |
| Jim Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association | George Landrith President Frontiers of Freedom |
| Bob Adams President Revive America PAC | Rebecca Hagelin President and CEO, Rebecca Hagelin Communications and Marketing, LLC |
| Kathleen A. Patten President and Chief Executive Officer American Target Advertising | Elaine Donnelly Founder and President Center for Military Readiness |
| Robert K. Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith | Dr. Bob Reccord Former Executive Director Council for National Policy |
| Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation | Ralph T. Hudgens Commissioner of Insurance State of Georgia |
| Floyd Brown President Western Center for Journalism | David N. Bossie President Citizens United |
| Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. President Center for Security Policy | Andrew C.McCarthy Former Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Southern District of New York |
| Ronald D. Rotunda Chapman University The Dale E. Fowler School of Law | James C. Miller III Former Director of OMB President Ronald Reagan |
| Rod D. Martin Founder and CEO The Martin Organization (ARRA News Service Author) | Sherri R. Martin The Martin Foundation |
| Shawn A. Mitchell Chaplain National Federation of Republican Assemblies | Nicholas Stehle Campaign for the American Future |
| Monty Warner Plains States Legal Foundation | Steve Thrasher Special Counsel National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
| Hon. Jerry Melvin Former Dean, Florida House of Representatives President, Florida Republican Assembly | Lee A. Beaman Chief Executive Officer Beaman Automotive |
| Peter J. Thomas Chairman Americans for Constitutional Liberty | Joel Anand Samy Co-Founder and President International Leaders Summit |
| Mike Hill District 2 Florida State Representative | Herb London President London Center for Policy Research |
| Dr. Barry Creamer President Criswell College | Gary L. Bauer President American Values (ARRA News Service Author) |
| Richard Falknor Publishers Blue Ridge Forum | Susan Falknor Publishers Blue Ridge Forum |
| Joe R. Calvert Rabon-Calvert Interests | Kenneth Boehm Chairman National Legal and Policy Center |
| Norman Singleton President Campaign for Liberty | Melissa Ortiz Founder & Principal Able Americans |
| Kevin D. Freeman NSIC Institute | Jenny Beth Martin Co-Founder Tea Party Patriots |
| Todd W. Herrick COB Herrick Foundation | Andresen Blom Executive Director Grassroot Hawaii Action, Inc. |
| The Honorable Steve Stockman Former Congressman from Texas | Sandy Rios Director of Governmental Affairs AFA |
| Dr. James C. Dobson Founder & President Dr. James Dobson's FamilyTalk | Tony Saliba CEO Saliba Venture Management |
| Morton Blackwell Chairman The Weyrich Lunch (ARRA News Service Author) | The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
| Lou Cordia President Cordia and Associates | Donna Hearne CEO Contstitutional Coalition |
| Larry Beasley President and CEO The Washington Times | Demos Chrissos President RapidResponse Media, Inc. |
| The Honorable General Ken Cuccinelli President Senate Conservatives Fund (ARRA News Service Author) | Phillip L. Jauregui Judicial Action Group |
| Taylor Budowich Executive Director Tea Party Express | Pete Weyrich Conservative Activist |
| Sandy Froman Treasurer Council for National Policy | Cathie Adams Former President, Texas Eagle Forum Former Chairman, Republican Party of Texas (ARRA News Service Author) |
| Dr. Richard Lee President There's Hope America Broadcasting | Joseph Farah Editor and Chief Executive Officer WND.com, WND Books, WND Films (ARRA News Service Author) |
| Russell J. Ramsland, Jr. Founder Park Cities/Preston Hollow Leadership Forum | R. Peter Weaver Vice President International Liquid Terminals Association |
| Tonya Tiffany President Maryland Citizen Action Network | Phyllis Schlafly Founder, Chairman & CEO Eagle Forum (ARRA News Service Author) |
| Dick G. Ellis Ft. Worth, Texas |
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