1933 – The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted.

It set the date for the Presidential Inauguration as January 20th, instead of the old date of March 4th. It also sets January 3rd as the official opening date of Congress.

On February 6 National Lame Duck Day recognizes the ratification of the 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution or the Lame Duck Amendment.

The term “lame duck” originated as a description of stockbrokers in 1700s England who could not pay off their debts. The name later carried over to those in business who, while known to be bankrupt, would continue to do business.

In politics, a lame duck is a person currently holding a political office who has either: lost a re-election bid chosen not to seek another term been prevented from running for re-election due to a term limit holds a position that has been eliminated
The 20th Amendment
Prior to the ratification of the 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution, there was for Congress a 13-month delay between election day and the day the newly elected officials took office. In the case of a lame duck, this was a 13 month notice his or her job was terminating crippling their influence. Hence the ‘lame’ or injured duck.
An awful lot of people are confused as to just what is meant by a lame-duck Congress. It’s like where some fellows worked for you and their work wasn’t satisfactory and you let ’em out, but after you fired ’em, you let ’em stay long enough so they could burn your house down. – Will Rogers

The same applied to the president. The 20th Amendment changed the date the newly elected president took office from March 4th to January 20th.

During a lame-duck session, members of Congress are no longer accountable to their constituents. It is possible for their focus to switch to more personal gain instead of acting on behalf of their constituents with an eye toward re-election.

The 20th Amendment shortened this period from 13 months to 2 months. While lame-duck sessions still occur (20 such sessions have occurred since the amendment took effect in 1935), there is less time for sweeping legislation to be approved. Even so, lame-duck Congresses have declared war, impeached a president, censured a senator, and passed the Homeland Security Act among other actions.
It is also considered a time when the peaceful transition of power occurs. Preparations take place for the out-going president to leave the office and the newly elected president to take over the role.

source: nationaldaycalendar.com

January 10, 1973: Hunt to Burglars: White House Will Take Care of Families If They Plead Guilty, Remain Quiet

E. Howard Hunt, the leader of the seven Watergate burglars (see 2:30 a.m.June 17, 1972) currently on trial, tells fellow burglars Frank Sturgis, Virgilio Gonzalez, Eugenio Martinez, and Bernard Barker (sometimes called the “Cubans”) that if they plead guilty and keep their mouths shut, the White House will financially take care of their families. Hunt will plead guilty the next day; the others will plead guilty days later (see January 8-11, 1973). [Spartacus Schoolnet, 8/2007] Hunt has been pressuring the White House for executive clemency—in essence, a presidential pardon—for himself in return for his and the burglars’ guilty pleas and subsequent silence. [Reeves, 2001, pp. 557-558] Watergate burglar Bernard Barker will write of the decision to plead guilty in October 1974. He will recall Hunt as being thoroughly demoralized by the death of his wife Dorothy (see December 8, 1972), and telling Barker, “Well, you do what you want, but I am going to plead guilty.” When Barker asks why, Hunt replies: “We have no defense. The evidence against us is overwhelming.” Barker asks, “What about Liddy and McCord?” asking about the two accused burglars, G. Gordon Liddy and James McCord, who are being tried separately. Hunt replies: “Liddy and McCord are in a different sector. We are in one sector and they are in another. They have their own plan.” Barker then asks the Cubans’ lawyer, Henry Rothblatt, what his strategy is. Rothblatt confirms that they have no defense against the charges (see Early January, 1973), but he intends to “aggravate that Judge Sirica [John Sirica, presiding over the trial] to the point where I am going to drive him out of his cotton-pickin’ mind, and he is going to make so many mistakes with his arrogance that this will be a perfect case for appeal.” Unimpressed, Barker says he will follow Hunt’s lead and plead guilty. Rothblatt insists that Barker not trust Hunt and the others, saying: “They are a bunch of b_stards. They’ll double-cross you. They’ll sell you down the river.” Nevertheless, Barker and the other three burglars agree to follow Hunt’s lead and plead guilty. Rothblatt resigns from the case. Apparently, Barker is unaware at this time of Hunt’s negotiations with the White House for executive clemency for himself. [Harper’s, 10/1974]
Entity Tags: Henry Rothblatt, E. Howard Hunt, Dorothy Hunt, Bernard Barker, Eugenio Martinez, G. Gordon Liddy, John Sirica, Virgilio Gonzalez, James McCord, Frank Sturgis, Nixon administration
Timeline Tags: Nixon and Watergate

source: historycommons.org

colorofchange.org

Here is the Petition:

Dear JP Morgan Chase and Stripe:In October 2020, Color Of Change called on JP Morgan Chase and Stripe to cease and desist processing donations to Kyle Rittenhouse’s legal defense fund. Just three months later, these same corporations have once again decided to finance and mobilize white nationalist violence and terrorism by processing donations to Proud Boys leader, Enrique Tarrio. JP Morgan Chase and Stripe consciously and continually prioritize profit over Black lives and public safety. 

We are demanding that JP Morgan Chase and Stripe immediately cease payment processing for Enrique Tarrio on the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo, permanently ban accounts associated with the Proud Boys or any white nationalist hate group, and desist from further servicing GiveSendGo and other white nationalist hate sites. 

As the world’s most widely used online payment processing services, JP Morgan Chase and Stripe have the power and ethical responsibility to shut down cash flow to white supremacists. Black lives depend on it, and your stated commitments to stop profiting from white nationalist hatred and violence command it. 

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, the Proud Boys stormed the United States Capitol building with clear intentions of intimidating D.C. residents, starting conflict to advance their racist agenda, and lethally threatening anyone that stood in their way. Once again, JP Morgan Chase and Stripe financed, mobilized, and even profited from these acts of white domestic terrorism. 

Earlier this week, Enrique Tarrio was arrested and charged with property destruction and possession of two high-capacity firearms. On December 12th, the Proud Boys leader torched a Black Lives Matter banner belonging to Asbury United Methodist Church—a historic Black church in Washington, D.C.—and on January 4th returned “armed and ready” to intimidate Black people and incite racial violence at Wednesday’s “Overturn the Election” rally.

Within hours of Enrique Tarrio’s arrest, GiveSendGo began using JP Morgan Chase (through WePay) and Stripe to process donations for his legal defense and related white nationalist causes—such as medical assistance for any Proud Boys injured while assaulting protestors and travel expenses for those seeking to attend the “Stop the Steal” event or other white nationalist rallies. In the past 48 hours alone, GiveSendGo has raised nearly $300,000 for the Proud Boys. 

JP Morgan Chase and Stripe have an ethical duty and moral responsibility to shut down cash flow to white supremacists. According to Stripe’s Terms and Conditions any organization that “engages in, encourages, promotes, or celebrates unlawful violence to any group based on race…” must be restricted from using the platform. While JP Morgan Chase lists “hate, violence, racial intolerance, and terrorism” as prohibited merchant activities. The Proud Boys are a known white supremacist hate group, and GiveSendGo is a known white supremacist hate site. JP Morgan Chase and Stripe have consciously prioritized profit over Black lives and public safety.

Corporations cannot continue to build wealth at the expense of Black lives nor with the help of Blood Money. We are calling on JP Morgan Chase and Stripe to cease payment processing for Enrique Tarrio on the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo, ban accounts associated with the Proud Boys or any white nationalist hate group, and desist from further servicing GiveSendGo and other white nationalist hate sites, effective immediately. Black lives depend on it, and their stated commitments to stop profiting from white nationalist hatred and violence command it.

colorofchange.org