Dems’ Lame-Duck Must-Dos

In Congress’ lame-duck session, Democrats have a chance to prove their endless rhetoric is more than mere hot air: Pass the Electoral Count Act and Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s bipartisan stock-trading ban for members and their families.

Dems have used the shameful conduct of President Donald Trump and the rioters he energized on Jan. 6 as the basis for unceasing plaints about how we need to safeguard our democracy. But they haven’t actually done anything about the unclear law that served as the pretext for Trump’s call to arms.

The Electoral Count Act would do that by vastly raising the congressional threshold for objections to state electors and making it much harder for state officials to interfere (plus clearing up the vice president’s role in the certification process as 100% ceremonial).

The Senate is signaling the ECA could go in the omnibus spending bill. No: Get it done as a stand-alone bill and prove you really care about keeping democracy safe.

A stock-trading ban is another gimme that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been delaying for months. Spanberger’s bill would require all members of Congress and their spouses and under-18 dependents to either divest or put all assets into true blind trusts or widely held funds, with clear penalties for failure to comply and no shady carveouts.

That this hasn’t happened yet suggests Dems’ rhetoric on inequality takes a backseat to the greed of the governing class.

Democrats should settle these issues before the coming GOP House majority brings new uncertainty. Get these two bills, done and America will thank you.