The congressional impasse over more stimulus to a COVID-stricken country continues to deepen. Senate Republicans attempted to pass a small supplementary package and failed, leaving serious doubts as to whether anything will be done before the end of the year. Given how much economic damage the pandemic continues to cause, it seems astonishing that Washington has been unable to muster any action since the spring. Partisan dysfunctional politics have a huge role here, that is not the only reason.