It’s not very respectful but whenever Congress comes back into session after an election it’s commonly referred to as a lame-duck session. That’s because some of the members of Congress who will be deliberating on unfinished business won’t be coming back again, either by choice or the will of the voters back home.

This week, even as the “class” of newly elected freshmen members of the upcoming 113th Congress are here in town for orientation, the 112th Congress is returning for a lame-duck session. And their agenda couldn’t be more critical to the future of our country.

Congress has less than two months to reach an agreement on the budget in order to avert automatic cuts to domestic programs that are scheduled to take effect in January. Sequestration — the provision under the Budget Control Act that has become known as the “fiscal cliff” and that sets in motion budget cuts and tax increases to reduce the deficit — threatens to push millions of low-income families deeper into poverty by cutting key safety net programs. Automatic tax increases that are part of this scenario threaten harm to a struggling middle class as well. The White House, strengthened by the overwhelming vote of confidence delivered on Election Day, is pushing hard for lawmakers to look to repealing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans rather than to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and middle class. Regardless of how you refer to this last gasp of the 112th Congress — the fate of millions of American families rests on their actions!

There are a few other items we’d like to see come out of the post-election Congress. There’s a line-up of highly qualified, non-controversial judicial nominees who have been waiting way too long for a yes or no vote in the Senate. Delay in confirming judges translates into justice delayed for those awaiting their day in courts without adequate numbers of judges!

Also, the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization has been the victim of partisan bickering that threatens to derail a proven-effective law that has hitherto enjoyed bipartisan support. Funding for SNAP (formerly known as the food stamp program) is an important part of a languishing Farm Bill. And women, tired of earning 77 cents to the dollar men earn, are still waiting for the Paycheck Fairness Act to pass.

If the 112th Congress can conclude by making progress on this agenda, the lame duck will truly have produced a golden egg and salvaged its reputation just in time for the history books!