Congress’ lame-duck session doesn’t need to be do-nothing

With Republicans drooling over the prospect of taking on Democratic President Barack Obama on a range of issues next year when they assume control of Congress, the threat of continued government inaction looms large.

But, while the GOP considers Tuesday’s stunning election victory as a mandate, it would be a mistake for the majority on Capitol Hill next year to put partisan politics before the interest of the nation.

There’s too much work to be done to have the GOP-controlled Congress and the White House at loggerheads for the next two years. To be sure, the 2016 presidential election will dictate how both parties behave, but with the economic recovery still not benefiting all segments of the population, and with such contentious issues as immigration hanging fire, there must be a meeting of minds.

The meeting should begin this week when Congress returns for its lame-duck session.

Senators and representatives should not forget that a majority of the American people hold Congress in even lower esteem than they do President Obama.

Given that, you would think congressional leaders of both parties and the president would want to at least give the impression that Washington is committed to getting the job done. However, a White House session last week between the president and legislators simply highlighted the extent of the political divide.

NONCONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

Thus the need to take on noncontroversial issues in the next several weeks before Congress breaks for Christmas. The list should include stepping up America’s fight against Islamic terrorists, stopping the spread of Ebola and enacting legislation to fund the government through Sept. 30.

According to the New York Times, leaders of both parties expressed an interest in eliminating any talk of a shutdown of the government for now.

Members of the Appropriations Committee favor passage of a package of new spending bills rather than just funding agencies at current levels, the Times reported.

“Passing the new bills in a so-called omnibus allows lawmakers to reset agency priorities, but House Republicans have balked in the past at passing such big packages, and the leadership may have to settle for a simple extension,” according to the newspaper.

Finally, congressional leaders expressed growing interest in trying to pass legislation overhauling the National Security Agency’s once-secret program that is systematically collecting records about Americans’ phone calls, the Times reported.

These issues aren’t controversial, nor are they partisan, which is why Congress should deal with them without delay. Such bipartisanship and GOP cooperation with the White House will not only help restore some of the public’s trust in Washington, but could open the door for future deal-making.

There is no doubt that next year, with Republicans in control of the Senate and the House, will be a challenge.

The president’s threat of using his executive powers to halt deportation of illegal immigrants has prompted warnings from congressional leaders of a further deterioration of relations.

However, there is an issue that both sides can work on that will benefit every state: upgrading the nation’s roads and bridges. The U.S. ranks 19th in the world in the quality of its infrastructure.

The American Society of Civil Engineers says the nation needs to invest $3.6 trillion by 2020 to upgrade the infrastructure.

Think of all the jobs that would be created through a national program.

Congress must demonstrate that the interest of the American people trumps partisan politics.