The many countries of the European Union have managed to do what the United States can't.
On Friday, EU leaders agreed to not only pass a $1.8 trillion coronavirus relief package, but to also include a groundbreaking pledge to cut carbon emissions in half. Meanwhile, Congress in the U.S. is in its sixth month of debating a coronavirus package, and could be headed for a total government shutdown as soon as next week.
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In the U.S., the House on Wednesday passed a one-week funding bill to ensure the government didn't shut down on Friday. But the Senate has yet to agree to it, thanks to a holdout from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Paul filibustered a unanimous vote to proceed on the stopgap funding measure, only saying he would back down if the GOP Senate allowed for a final vote on the National Defense Authorization Act on Monday, Politico reports. Paul has a history of forcing shutdowns, holding up a funding bill in 2018 as he attempted to cut government spending.
Congress has also spent months failing to agree to a new coronavirus relief bill, with only a very faint light at the end of the tunnel as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) unite over stimulus checks.
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