Reid to keep Congress in session

[ProSense]

AS LONG AS IT TAKES....

As of a week ago, the Senate Democratic leadership hoped to wrap up the lame-duck session by this Friday, December 17. Among the issues leaders have every intention of trying to address before going home are the tax deal, New START ratification, DADT repeal, defense authorization, the DREAM Act, a revised food-safety bill, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting.

In other words, something's gotta give. Either the Senate delays the end of the session or it dramatically scales back its to-do list, leaving key priorities undone.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.), to his credit, told C-SPAN over the weekend that he'd like to see the chamber remain in session after Christmas to help get its work done. What I found odd, though, is Levin argue that it's a "problem" that President Obama hasn't called "urged the Senate to stay in, right up to New Year's."

The more the president is prepared to fight for these priorities, the better. But with due respect to Levin, since when is it the White House's job to help set the Senate's legislative schedule? Can't members figure this out on their own?

Fortunately, there were some fresh indications that Friday will not be the end of the session. CQ had this piece today on ratifying the pending nuclear arms treaty.

"We'll be here as long as it takes to get it done," Regan LaChapelle, spokeswoman for Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Dec. 10. Her comments echoed White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, who earlier that day said, "Congress won't leave before START is done."

What's more, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) asked Reid this morning about the likelihood of weekend work. The Majority Leader replied, "We need to stay here until we finish."

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[T Wolf]

1. You used the words "president" and "fight" in the same sentence. Thanks for the laugh. nt

[emulatorloo]

3. Steve Benen, Washington Monthly. I always learn a lot from him. n/t

edit too fast typing

[emulatorloo]

2. Excellent n/t

[catgirl]

4. Good news n/t

[jenmito]

5. And Obama will stay in DC 'til Congress ends its session, too. n/t

[Imajika]

6. Why was so much of this not done before the election?

Why did all this stuff get carried over into the lame duck? I could understand if the House and Senate just got tied up with passing the government spending bills, but they utterly failed at that too - didn't pass a single one.

What the hell were they doing prior to the election? Trying to get this all done in the lame duck makes it appear desperate Democrats lost the election and now are trying to get everything through they know they won't get for the next 2 years. I am sure the Republicans see it this way, and if I were in their shoes I'd probably try to block everything till next Congress too.

We had HUGE majorities, why did we not pass a budget? Why did we not pass the spending bills Congress is supposed to have done? What exactly where the House and Senate doing over the last several months?

[Indydem]

7. It was all political...

The DREAM act would have pissed off the anti-immigrant neanderthals in both parties - Loss for us.

Repealing DADT would have pissed off the anti-equal-rights douchebags in both parties - loss for us.

Passing a budget and having the public see how much money is being spent, in this teabagger environment would have made those fuckers even more irate.

The leadership on our side was hoping to avoid damage, not realizing standing for nothing cost them progressive and moderate voters. Morans.

[AlinPA]

9. DADT Repeal, New START and the DREAM act are dead in this tea bagger environment. There is no

reason for republicans to allow any of those three to go through. The teabaggers would go berserk if any of the three made it through the senate.

[Imajika]

12. Well, if that is the case...

...and your probably right it was, then trying to jam all this through the Lame Duck session really kind of is "desperate" Democrats trying to get through everything they won't get for the next 2 years.

We should have stood FOR our agenda before the election. Heaven knows, running from it didn't help us one bit.

[AlinPA]

8. He didn't get the word that the republicans will stop DADT Repeal, START and the DREAM Act.

He's dreaming if he thinks any of the three will pass. Those are things the President wants Harry, and they are stopped.

[DrToast]

10. I'd like to see them work on Christmas.*

*

[BlueIris]

11. Interesting.

Gee, could they be worried about something?