Amend The 20th Amendment

[verrip1]

This last lame duck session proved the necessity of moving the business of government from a timeline appropriate for the twentieth century to a timeline appropriate for the twenty-first century.

It is ridiculous to allow discredited politicians to continue to rule after the people have thrown them out. Move federal election day to just before Congress' Christmas Holiday Break, with the new Congress in place when Congress opens the following year.

It is ridiculous to have it any other way.

[fairlycrazy23]

That wouldn't take an amendment, they could just change it since they set it by law now. But they should move away from a lame duck session.

[deziloooooo]

All for it but help me out. 20th Amendment...not the prohibition one is it.....?

[billisonboard]

Is it truly a good deal to extend the campaign season for another month plus, to place the election between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and to seriously shorten the time that newly elected to Congress (and President) have to move and put together staff.

[verrip1]

Is it not ridiculous to allow discredited politicians to have control of the government? The abuse potential is intense.

If incoming congressmen have the slightest interest in what their predecessor thought, I'm sure they know how to contact them, and will do so at their discretion. It's ludicrous to think that some sort of OJT should limit their ability to act on their first business day after election.

[deziloooooo]

Actually the 20th did cut down the time ..it was a longer period of time...whether it needs to be shorter , finish up ol business, people get settled , know the ropes, get acclimated , ones going have time to say good bye , wind up things, make arangements to go and move things,,,don't see the problem
I think your looking at it from a partison standpoint, but thats to narrow, we have been here a long time, they are going to come and go, same arguments new wrinkles going on...the end of the Republic , need my person in to save it.
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The amendment reduced the amount of time between Election Day and the beginning of Presidential, Vice Presidential and Congressional terms.[1] Originally, the terms of the President, the Vice President and the in-coming elected Congress began on March 4, four months after the elections were held. While this lapse was a practical necessity at the end of the 18th century, when any newly-elected official might require several months to put his affairs in order and then undertake an arduous journey from his home to the national capital, it eventually had the effect of impeding the functioning of government in the modern age.

From the early 19th century onward, it also meant that the lame duck Congress and/or Presidential administration could, as in the case of the Congress, convene or fail to convene; in the case of the administration, to act or to fail to act, or to meet significant national crises in a timely manner. Each institution could do this on the theory that at best, a lame duck Congress or administration had neither the time nor the mandate to tackle problems. Where as the incoming administration or Congress would have both the time, and a fresh electoral mandate, to examine and address the problems that the nation faced. These problems very likely would have been at the center of the debate of the just completed election cycle.

This dilemma was seen most notably in 1861 and 1933, as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt (plus the newly elected Members of Congress from the political party of each of these Presidents) had to wait four months before they, and the incoming-Congresses, could deal with the secession of Southern states and the Great Depression respectively.

Originally, under Article I, Section 4, Clause 2, the Congress was required to convene at least once each year in December. That requirement created a mandatory lame duck session following each federal election.

The amendment was ratified on January 23, 1933. Section 5 delayed Sections 1 and 2 taking effect until October 15, 1933. This delay resulted in the first meeting of the 73rd Congress, along with the inauguration of President Roosevelt and Vice President John Nance Garner, taking place on March 4, 1933.

On February 15, 1933, 23 days after this amendment was ratified, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt was the target of an unsuccessful assassination attempt by Giuseppe Zangara. If the attempt had been successful then, pursuant to Section 3, John Nance Garner would have been sworn in as President on March 4, 1933.

The first Congressional terms to begin under Section 1 were those of the 74th Congress, on January 3, 1935. The first Presidential and Vice Presidential terms to begin under Section 1 were those of President Roosevelt and Vice President Garner, on January 20, 1937.

Because of this amendment, if the Electoral College fails to resolve who will be the President or Vice President, the newly elected Congress, as opposed to the outgoing one, would choose who would occupy the unresolved office or offices.

[Deleted]

Yes, verrip, it does sound ridiculous. Like the time left is when they all consent that they can have a free for all stretch as a going away present. I agree-- change it, or shut down until the new people have time to bring in their staffs, etc. When the people say to leave it is time to leave.

[billisonboard]

Any idea what the reelection rate was for the past election?

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I disagree. I liked the lame duck session. I think it was instructive to the American people, and that Democrats continued to screw themselves into the ground using the lame duck session to do it. Without this final opportunity to demonstrate that they learned anything from the November elections, I fear voters may have been a little too forgiving of Democrats in 2012. The lame duck session sealed their fate.

[deziloooooo]

Lets be real for once and honest for a change.

The reason the original poster is coming up with their wants is they are looking at the now..right this minute, a particuler thing tha happened which they see so unique. Do some googling on past lame duck congresses and there is nothing new here, especially if there has been a change in Congress which there was in the House.

Why everyone gets so up tite because of the immediate is beyond me..what is happening allways happens, sometimes more , some times less.

If the other side get to have enough majority then they will make changes, if not they won't.

Ut keeps being broughtb up . the people have spoken "

I suggest after EVERY election, the same thing can be said, "the people have spoken, why so many believe this time they have spoken in a deeper voice , a louder voice is beyond me.

[verrip1]

"The reason the original poster is coming up with their wants is they are looking at the now..right this minute, a particuler thing tha happened which they see so unique."

What absolute crap. You have no fooking idea whether I recently came to this opinion or whether I've held this belief for decades.

Just what I need, a borrachon mind reader.

[deziloooooo]

Jan 19, 2011 17:46:39 GMT -5 verrip1 said:

"The reason the original poster is coming up with their wants is they are looking at the now..right this minute, a particuler thing tha happened which they see so unique."

What absolute crap. You have no fooking idea whether I recently came to this opinion or whether I've held this belief for decades.

Just what I need, a borrachon mind reader.

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Crap? Crap you say. Moi issuing crap on a topic?? mmmmm
Possible, been known to happy from time to time , however:
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"You have no fooking idea whether I recently came to this opinion or whether I've held this belief for decades."
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To suggest that one has been thinking about the 20th amendment, the 20th for any more time then the immediate is "Fooking " BS and nuts. The 20th amendment? The first, the second ? Ok. Many others possible , some thought given to. The 20th, possible thinking for decades? I give one a moment when the moment occurs, once the moment has passed, back to oblivien and to suggest any more, one has to be "fooken " nuts. ;D