Congress fails once again

If there is one thing we have come to count on from the United States Congress is for them to do the bare minimum. Even as the coronavirus spread continues, as does the economic fallout, once again our elected officials in Washington are doing next to nothing. A second economic relief package, approved by the House months ago, remains in a stalemate in the Senate. The lack of a deal means no second $1200 check, no extension of federal unemployment benefits to those who have lost their jobs, no money to help schools reopen, no money to help state and local governments avoid layoffs and no more money for a popular business subsidy program. Once again this Congress hasn’t even agreed to a deal to keep the government’s lights on, with a possible government shutdown looming at month’s end. While Senators returned to Washington yesterday, the House is not scheduled to return until next week. Both chambers are scheduled to be in session for only another two weeks, with their calendar cleared for campaigning in October in advance of the November election. History shows that in the weeks leading up to an election, the likelihood of any compromise decreases significantly. There is still time for Congress to work out deals on the economy, the pandemic, and keeping the government running, but the odds decrease with each passing day.