"March surprise" as Congress takes pre-election break?

 In the US presidential election, which takes place in early November, an "October surprise" is news event deliberately created by the Republicans or Democrats in order to influence the election's outcome, such as rumors of a last-minute deal to end the Vietnam war in 1968 or to release the Iranian hostages in 1980. In Patria, with many more parties than America's bipolar political world, there is the potential for several March surprises. But they rarely happen on Patria's campaign trail. If there is to be a "March surprise" in 2014, rumors are swirling around the gay village in downtown Castoropolis that the Supreme Court of Patria could rule in favor of same-sex marriage, as a number of US states' laws against gay marriage have been overturned (even Bible Belt conservative Republican red states like Texas). If Patria's ban on gay marriage is found unconstitutional a month before election time, it would be quite a slap in the face to all those in the Chastity Party, Family Values Party and the Hindu right wing who have been repeating the same mantra election cycle after election cycle: Patria must remain a "safe place for social conservatives".

With six weeks and change until election day, the Fourth Session, 49th Congress (4·XLIX 2013-14) has adjourned for the traditional pre-election home stretch in order to allow members of Congress to campaign in their home precincts. Congress will re-convene a few days after April 19 for the also traditional lame-duck session that will adjourn sine die just as the workers finish building the platform on the Capitol stairs for the oath of office ceremony and the reviewing stands for the inaugural parade on June 30. The last item on the 49th Congress order paper is to ratify Patria's fiscal 2014-15 budget.