Lame Duck Congress

Bill Koser is a local small business owner and a guest contributor today.  He gives us some things to think about.   Thank you Bill.

This is a congress that meets after the election where all the Senators and Congressmen who either retired or were voted out of office still get to vote.  They are no longer responsible to you, the voter, so they do very foolish - self-serving and often money wasting - things.

Why do we allow this?  I believe that as soon as the election results are final, the elected - and only the elected - have the right to represent us.  Those who have retired or were defeated no longer represent anyone but themselves, so the do not have the right to vote on legislation.  We need to be clear that the term of office ends on Election Day!

I suspect that it will take a very large “grass roots” campaign to get this changed, but we must do it!  Contact your Representative & your Senators and let them know that this is one change we need to make now!

And, while we are at it, the President’s term should be handled the same way.  The retiring of defeated President should not have any power to pardon, sign legislation, sign executive orders, or to do anything except respond to a true emergency where national defense or a natural disaster requires immediate action.  Install the new President a.s.a.p. after the election is final.  We don’t need 75 days of “limbo” every four years.  (And, we don’t need a multi million dollar “Inaugural”.  A little pomp will do.)

It is time we all take responsibility for holding our government accountable – it’s our money, our time, and even our lives that they are wasting.          Bill Koser