The Lame-Duck Session of Congress: A Live Web Chat with Darrell West

Come January, the Republican Party will take control of the House, and the Democrats who still control the Senate will see their majority whittled down to a razor-thin margin. Nevertheless, the existing Congress – including those who lost in the midterms elections – are returning to Washington for one last session, known as a “lame duck.”

At a minimum, the session must act on a budget resolution to keep the government in operation. The fate of the other important legislation — including the expiring Bush tax cuts and the new START treaty — remains to be seen.

On November 17, Brookings expert Darrell West took your questions in a live web chat on the lame-duck session of Congress. Assistant editor Seung Min Kim of POLITICO moderated the discussion.

Read the transcript »