Friday, July 15, 2016

Congress Leaves Washington With Work Undone

Congress exited a sweltering Washington on Thursday, its dysfunction on full display as it left behind must-do legislation to combat the mosquito-borne Zika virus and a stalemate over lawmakers' basic job of fulfilling agency budgets.

The twin failures highlighted the one step forward, two steps back nature of the bitterly-divided Congress, even as Senate Majority Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan trumpeted victories on drug abuse legislation and other, more modest bills. But a continuing impasse over the Pentagon budget sent McConnell's effort to revive the process for advancing annual spending bills off the rails. 

When lawmakers return from their vacation after Labor Day, a stopgap funding bill that's needed to prevent a government shutdown will be the main order of business before Congress recesses again for the fall campaign. 

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