This is Words Matter with Norm Ornstein.

This was a stunning success.

And Dr. Kavita Patao.

Deep approval ratings of everybody are pretty darn low and only look to get lower.

Hello and welcome to Words Matter from the DSR Network.

Each week Norm Ornstein and I will talk about the issues facing our country as they come

out of the midterms and enter another election cycle and what our leaders are saying and doing

about them.

Today we are going to cover what is affectionately known in the beltway as the lame duck congressional

session.

Well on PAKFEC, what is it's stake in this lame duck session?

Why indeed the lame duck session can often be the most important time in the legislative

cycle and what people are saying are not doing about them and not saying.

And then in our bonus members only content, we are going to talk about the Respect for Marriage

Act as well as just in general where we are in 2022 when it comes to equal rights for

all in the United States.

So with that Norm that's pretty loaded.

I just want to start by saying that before I came to DC which is now 17 years ago, I

had no understanding.

Anytime someone attached the words lame duck to something, I often thought, hey that means

they have no power and they have no relevance.

And lo and behold as I then came to Capitol Hill and worked through several lame duck sessions

...