Congress is at the end of Week 1 of its "lame duck" session, but there a several policy issues being actively debated. Senator Patrick Leahy is our guest to discuss whether Bush-era income taxes cuts will be extended, potential reductions in payments to Medicare providers, and new food safety bill. Your questions on these and other topics are welcome.
Also in the program, Governor-elect Peter Shumlin has appointed five advisers in his administration so far. VPR’s John Dillon and Kristin Carlson of WCAX-TV examine what these appointments reveal about the incoming Shumlin administration.
And we listen back to some of the voices in this week’s news.
Where does the term "lame duck" come from?
One of our listeners asked why the session of Congress that falls between the election in November and the new session of Congress is called a "lame duck". Here’s one answer from The Christian Science Monitor, which says the phrase’s derivation is British:
"In the late 1700s, a lame duck was a British stockbroker who could not meet his debts. The image seems apt — such a broker would have damaged prospects and be unable to keep up with the rest of his flock of peers."