The Politico’s Mike Allen puts this in his morning newsletter:
EXCLUSIVE: Phil Schiliro, the White House congressional liaison, has told the Senate to aim to take up an energy bill the week of July 12, after the July 4 break (and after the scheduled final passage of Wall Street reform). Kagan confirmation will follow, ahead of the summer break, scheduled to begin Aug. 9. The plan is to conference the new Senate bill with the already-passed House bill IN A LAME-DUCK SESSION AFTER THE ELECTION, so House members don’t have to take another tough vote ahead of midterms.
Every Republican challenger ought to be demanding that their Democrat incumbent opponent pledge in writing that they will not pass an energy bill in a lame-duck session if they are defeated. When the people make their opinion clear, fundamental concepts of accountability and responsibility require that the opinion not be ignored.
Lame-duck sessions are not designed to be shortcuts to ignore the will of the people and erase any sense of legislative culpability.