Congress resumes with lame duck session

Washington D.C. (WDTN) - Congress returns Tuesday, Nov. 13 to a crowded agenda of unfinished business overshadowed by the urgent need for the President and lawmakers to avoid an economic iceberg, the double whammy of tax increases and automatic spending cuts that could sink our fiscal ship.

One week after the elections, Congress will first introduce their 12 new members while the House will welcome some 70 new members who will get a crash course on how Congress operates.

They'll first dive into leftover legislation like how to deal with Cold War trade restrictions allowing U.S. exporters to take advantage of the lowered tariffs and greater market access in Russia.

They'll also take a shot at the Sportsman bill allowing more hunting and fishing on federal lands.

They must also decide upon legislation that would aid farmers still reeling from the summer's drought before tackling equally pressing matters like establishing new food stamp policies, changes in the tax code and address the entitlement programs of Social Security and Medicare.