A number of key U.S. House and Senate members have stated publicly that they would like a lame-duck session of Congress to address several important pieces of legislation.

Among them are the cap-and-trade bill; the Employee Free Choice Act (aka card check); and some combination of taxes and spending recommended by President Obama’s deficit commission, which is due to issue its findings Dec. 1.

Carolina Journal Editorial Interns Bill Flanigen and Amanda Vuke contacted the offices of the members of North Carolina’s Senate and House delegation and asked each the following questions:

Would you support the adoption of any significant legislation during a lame-duck session in 2010? Or should those measure wait until the 112th Congress takes office in January 2011?

U.S. Sens. Richard Burr, a Republican, and Kay Hagan, a Democrat did not respond. Nor did Reps. G.K. Butterfield, D-1st; Bob Etheridge, D-2nd; Mike McIntyre, D-7th; Larry Kissell, D-8th; and Heath Shuler, D-11th. Rep. Mel Watt, D-12th, responded but would not allow CJ to use his response.

The unedited replies of the other members of the delegation follow:

Walter Jones, a Republican, represents the 3rd Congressional District:

“No to 2010. Those issues are what the election of 2010 will be about, and the new congress elected by the people this fall based upon those issues should be the ones passing new legislation.”

David Price, a Democrat, represents the 4th Congressional District:

“Lame-duck sessions became almost common-place under Republican leadership. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security was created during a lame-duck. That said, I do not expect major legislation to be taken up in a lame-duck session this year. A possible exception may be appropriations bills not finalized before the start of the next fiscal year.”

Virginia Foxx, a Republican, represents the 5th Congressional District:

“A lame-duck session is called that for a reason: voters have spoken and the lame-ducks are headed home and, importantly, can no longer be held accountable for their votes. Congress would be wise to limit any lame-duck session to routine matters. If a bill can’t pass muster before an election, it certainly shouldn’t get shoehorned into a shadowy, post-election encore after the curtain comes down.”

Howard Coble, a Republican, represents the 6th Congressional District:

“My first choice would be to have no lame duck session and wait for the 112th Congress to be sworn in. If we have a lame-duck session this fall, which I expect we will, the Congress should use this time to focus on the economy. Our top priority should be generating long-term economic growth and reducing our national debt, which means we should make the Bush tax cuts permanent. In addition, we should consider other incentives to promote investment and growth, such as eliminating the death tax and capital gains taxes and ensuring that our small businesses are not being over taxed unfairly. The cost for these incentives should be offset by spending reductions.

“Unfortunately the cap-and-trade legislation, which is the Obama Administration’s environmental centerpiece has gone off track and appears to be heading in a direction that could undermine our efforts to a foster an economic recovery. As a result, it should either be shelved or completely retooled. Finally, regardless of whether there is a lame-duck session, the Employee Free Choice Act is a very misleading name for a very bad bill that should be rejected.

“During the 112th Congress we should repeal the new health care law and possibly keep any provisions that have generated bipartisan support and work to implement a comprehensive energy policy. Without an energy policy, we cannot have an effective environmental policy, which is in part why the cap-and-trade approach has been in a failure. Another top priority for the 112th Congress will be to reduce our debt, which will include reducing federal spending.”

Sue Myrick, a Republican, represents the 9th Congressional District. Her press secretary, Taylor Stanford, responded:

Rep. Myrick does not believe that any major actions need to be taken during a lame-duck session.

Patrick McHenry, a Republican, represents the 10th Congressional District:

“If Democrats want to pass yet another round of liberal legislation, they should do it before the November elections so voters can hold them accountable for it.”

Brad Miller, a Democrat, represents the 13th Congressional District.

“President Obama signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, HR 4173 on July 21st.

“Among many protections for Americans, the bill establishes common-sense rules to make sure the practices that brought about the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression never happen again; makes it more difficult for Wall Street to gamble with our money and then ask taxpayers to bail them out; and creates a new consumer protection agency with the sole purpose of serving as a watchdog to protect people from future abuses.

“I authored several key elements in the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act including a national mortgage lending reform law that I first introduced with Rep. Mel Watt in 2004. I was also the first House Member to propose the creation of an independent consumer financial protection regulator; a centerpiece of the bill. In fact, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau established by H.R. 4173 is largely modeled on legislation I sponsored to establish a Financial Product Safety Commission with Rep.
Bill Delahunt (D-MA) in March of 2009.

“For too long Wall Street won every time because they always got to write the rules and keep score. Other generations of Americans have fought to reign in self-interested financial and political power, and to put government on the side of ordinary Americans. Now it’s our turn.

“Highlights of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

“Creates a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to protect families and small businesses by ensuring that bank loans, mortgages, and credit cards are fair, affordable, understandable, and transparent

“Requires lenders to ensure a borrower’s ability to repay their loan

“Prohibits unfair, deceptive and abusive lending practices

“Expands consumer protections for high-cost mortgages

“Gives regulators authority to shut down “too big to fail” financial firms

“Ends costly taxpayer bailouts

“Imposes tough new rules on the riskiest financial practices

“Reins in egregious executive compensation and retirement plans