‘Glaring Failure’: Washington’s Dysfunction Hits a New Low Bloomberg 12/22/2020 Mike Dorning and Steven T. Dennis (Bloomberg) -- A giant fiscal jolt for the U.S. economy finally won approval in Washington Monday, but the half-year of political dysfunction that preceded the deal showcased a near-breakdown in American politics that President-elect Joe Biden will now be challenged to address. In a year marked by President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial and the government’s inability to suppress the deadly pandemic, the bitter Republican-Democratic fight over another Covid-19 relief package served as the final 2020 example of national interest being held hostage to political maneuvering.