National Lame Duck Day 2023: Date, History, Major roles of Congress

National Lame Duck Day is observed annually on February 6 to commemorate the day the 20th Amendment was ratified, shortening the congressional lame-duck period, or the weeks between elections and inauguration. During this time, elected officials on their way out of office typically have less influence and are merely waiting for their term to complete; therefore, they are referred to as lame ducks. There are many forms of political lame ducks worthy of our attention today, so continue reading to learn more about National Lame Duck Day.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL LAME DUCK DAY

In the literal sense, a lame duck is a duck that cannot keep up with its flock or find safety on its own; it is essentially susceptible to predators and merely waiting to die. The phrase was initially applied to a person in the 1700s, in reference to a stockbroker who had defaulted on his loans.

The term entered the political realm in the 19th century, as evidenced by a January 14, 1863 citation in the Congressional Globe. In this political context, ‘lame duck’ refers to an elected person who is reaching the end of his or her tenure and has lost the ability to carry out his or her tasks successfully.

Lame ducks are typically elected officials who have lost re-election or whose terms have expired and must leave office. Today, this word is most commonly associated with the presidency of the United States.

Thankfully, Congress passed the 20th Amendment in 1933 to reduce the time between the election and the inauguration. This is the reason why a day has been designated to honour our lame ducks. It should be a time of meaningful power transfer. This does occur on occasion, but it is not usually the case.

There have been a number of congressional and presidential lame-duck periods in which the exiting official passed controversial legislation, issued several pardons, and took politically unfavourable actions.

It has been suggested that the lame-duck period should be even shorter, considering the technology and speed of business in the twenty-first century compared to even the nineteenth century!

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5 MAJOR ROLES OF CONGRESS

Members of Congress can originate legislation and vote on legislation proposed by other members and committees, which can ultimately be enacted.

Both U.S. representatives and state senators are elected by the citizens of their state or district and are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with the desires of their voters.

Members of Congress are required to lead different elements of congressional responsibility, from negotiating legislative issues to devising committee- and party-related activities, whether or not they hold a formal leadership position.

Each delegate is permitted up to 18 full-time and 4 part-time staff members, while each senator’s staff size is dependent on the size of the state they represent.

Re-election-seeking congressional leaders devote time to campaign operations and promote the elections of other party members.

NATIONAL LAME DUCK DAY DATES