Obama boasts ‘lame duck session’ has been ’season of progress for American people’

WASHINGTON - United States President Barack Obama has hailed the lame-duck session of the 111th Congress, which came to an end on Wednesday, as the “most productive post-election period in decades”.

A ‘lame-duck’ session of Congress in the U.S. occurs whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected, but before the successor’s term begins.

The Republicans will take charge in the House in less than two weeks when the 112th Congress convenes on January 5.

“A lot of folks in this town predicted that, after the midterm elections, Washington would be headed for more partisanship and more gridlock. And instead, this has been a season of progress for the American people,” Politico quoted Obama, as saying.

“I think it’s fair to say that this has been the most productive post-election period we’ve had in decades. And it comes on the heels of the most productive two years that we’ve had in generations.”

“If there’s any lesson to draw from these past few weeks, it’s that we are not doomed to endless gridlock. We’ve shown in the wake of the November elections that we have the capacity not only to make progress, but to make progress together,” he added.

Obama also made a sweeping assessment of his achievements, in which he pronounced the new nuclear weapons pact with Russia as “the most significant arms control agreement in nearly two decades”.

“This treaty will make us safer and reduce our nuclear arsenals, along with Russia. It will also enhance our leadership to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and seek the peace of a world without them,” Obama said.

The US President also expressed disappointment over what he failed to accomplish: getting the Congress to pass the DREAM Act.

The DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act) would have allowed a conditional path to citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants.

“Maybe my biggest disappointment was this DREAM Act vote. I’m going to go back at it. I’m going to engage with Republicans who, some of them, in the heart of hearts, know it’s the right thing to do, but they think the politics are tough for them,” Obama said.

“One thing I hope people have seen in this lame duck is, I am persistent. I am persistent. If I believe strongly in something, I stay on it,” he added. (ANI)