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Capitol Ink | Best of 2020: Congress

In Part 3 of R. J. Matson’s 2020 recap, he shares his favorite lampoons of the legislative branch

“Opening Gavel,” from Jan. 13, satirizes what some complained was a “sham” impeachment trial carried out by Mitch McConnell’s Senate.
“Opening Gavel,” from Jan. 13, satirizes what some complained was a “sham” impeachment trial carried out by Mitch McConnell’s Senate. (R.J. Matson/CQ Roll Call)

See ya, 2020! Let the door hit you on the way out.

You have to admit, 2020 was an unforgettable year — challenging, dark and absurd. Through the seemingly endless coronavirus pandemic and the economic consequences it wrought, the country struggled but continued to remain hopeful. We even elected a new president, despite what the current one believes.

From the stay-at-home period in the spring to the elections in the fall, Congress continued its work, which also, at times, illustrated the challenges, darkness and absurdity of the year. The third part of our Capitol Ink recap of 2020 turns the focus back on the legislative branch itself.

[See Matson’s Best of 2020: Coronavius edition and his Best of 2020: The presidential election]

Remember when Nancy Pelosi tore up a copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address as “Speaker of the House of Riiiiipresentatives” from Feb. 2 showed? Feels like it was five years ago.
Nobody found a thrill on “Coronavirus Hill,” from April 1, which depicted the isolation the country was feeling from being shut down.
Perhaps “Groundhog Day” would now be a better film to parody rather than “Jaws 2,” but “Box Office Mitch” from May 27 showed the danger lurking underneath McConnell’s delay of a second coronavirus relief bill as the country prepared to reopen.
June 25’s “Fast Food Senate” skewered McConnell’s apparent top priority during the pandemic — appointing federal judges.
We lost some of the greats this year, including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, honored in this July 21 post.
Sept. 30’s “Emergency Responders” lampooned McConnell’s priorities again — this time, Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation.
The fate of the Affordable Care Act was a key cause of angst during Barrett’s confirmation hearing as seen in
Amy Coney Barrett-ometer” from Oct. 13.
There might not be a better image to cap off 2020 than “Congress Falls” from Dec. 3.

2021 will usher in a new Congress and a new presidential administration. And R.J. Matson’s Berryman Award-winning politcal cartoons will also be back Tuesdays through Thursdays (and Wednesdays only during recess periods). See you all in January.

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