Parliamentary systems seem to have at least one design advantage over our American system—they dissolve their governments before an election, so that a “lame duck” government can’t engage in legislative mischief after having already been rejected by the voters.
In our American system, on the other hand, the terminated politician and the terminated legislative majority remain in office for a time after they’ve already been turned out by the voters. “Lame ducks,” as we call them, no longer have anything to lose or anyone to answer to, which means they can not only vote contrary to the wishes of their former electorate or party leadership, but might even spitefully do so. Or might finally vote in a way that reflects their true beliefs, which in some cases might be even worse!
There are, right now, a number of Members of Congress and Senators who have already been rejected by their voters, such as Rep. Bob Inglis (SC) and Senator Robert Bennett (UT). Neither are any longer accountable to their voters, or indeed even to the discipline of their party. What’s to stop such rejected officeholders from “going rogue?”
There is still more than three months to go before the November election, but regardless of which polls you prefer to believe, it seems very likely that the Democrats are going to lose their large margins in both Houses of Congress and thus will lose effective control, if not absolute control. That means they have a limited amount of time to jam through several remaining difficult and unpopular legislative priorities, including a cap-and-trade energy bill, more spending on pet projects, union-backed “card check” legislation, and—brace yourself—tax increases.
And they’re unabashed about their plans. Last week Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) said a legislative session after the Nov. 2 election could be “one of the most significant lame-duck sessions in the history of the United States.”
President Obama’s deficit commission is due to make its recommendations on December 1st. IPI has repeatedly warned over the years that such commissions are designed to facilitate tax increases. Historically, such commissions claim to “split the difference” with a combination of spending cuts and tax increases, but the tax increases come first and the spending cuts never materialize.
Regardless of whether it’s overt tax increases, pork barrel spending, higher energy prices from cap-and-trade, or higher labor prices through “card check” legislation, an angry and unaccountable flock of lame ducks is coming for your wallets this fall.