After the stagnation of election year politics, members of the 112^th Congress returned to Washington, DC in mid-November during a "lame duck" session facing a full slate of issues that were tabled during the regular session. Most of the focus will be on the looming "fiscal cliff" mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011 that would end temporary tax cuts and make across the board cuts to spending at the end of 2012 if a new agreement for deficit reduction is not enacted first. However within the policy discussions, there are several conservation related issues that could be addressed, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

Budget:

The looming deadline on budget concerns will be the primary focus for members of Congress over the short, two-month timeframe of the lame duck session. The across the board cuts that would be triggered if an agreement is not reached could have significant impacts on natural resource agencies. A report released by the White House in mid-September outlined program cuts that would take place should the budget sequestration occur. Beyond traditional federal agency funding that would take deep cuts, the report also targets the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Safety Trust Funds to take a 7.6 percent hit. State fish and wildlife agencies and conservation organizations are actively working to prevent this from happening though a "Keep the Trust" public awareness campaign.

Sportsmen's Act:

Shortly before Congress recessed in September, the Senate overwhelmingly voted to move forward with consideration of Senator Jon Tester's Sportsmen's Act of 2012 (S. 3525). The bill, a compilation of nineteen bills that would impact hunting, fishing and recreational shooting, is supported by a broad group of organizations that urged Senate leadership to bring the bill to the floor during the lame duck session. Similar to a package that was targeted for inclusion within the Senate Farm Bill (see June 2012 ONB), the Sportsmen's Act addresses sportsmen's access, wetlands conservation and more. During the first week of the lame duck session before breaking for Thanksgiving, the Senate passed a series of procedural motions to allow debate, add a manager's amendment and determine if any additional amendments would be considered. A final Senate procedural vote on a budget point of order is anticipated at 5:30 pm ET on November 23. If the point of order is waived, all other amendments would be withdrawn and the final vote will move forward. A similar but more controversial bill (H.R. 4089) passed the House in mid-April which will allow a conference negotiation that could still occur before the 112^th Congress ends.

Other Issues:

Other issues are being discussed for potential consideration during this lame duck session, but the likelihood of action on such a broad agenda is questionable. The Farm Bill is seen as an important priority but also faces an uphill climb, as outlined in this related story. Other groups are advocating for an omnibus public lands bill that would roll together a number of wilderness and land protection bills. Also potentially in the mix is an effort to reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In addition, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (CA) has indicated her intent to move on the Water Resources Development Act that has not been reauthorized since 2007. Renewable energy advocates are urging a renewal of the wind production tax credit that is set to expire at the end of the year.

The reality is that very little action occurred in the two years of the 112^th Congress and the potential for significant action beyond the budget discussions in the two months of the lame duck session is limited. Others contend that shoehorning substantive legislative action in such a short window of time only opens the door for legislative mischief. However, with 86 members of Congress retiring or having been voted out, these waning days could provide them with their last opportunity to enact some legislative priorities. (jas)