Here’s how Congress is supposed to fund the US government, but never does

Needless to say, two billionaires who don’t currently hold elected office aren’t really supposed to be calling the shots for Congress, but that’s where Americans find themselves.President-elect Donald Trump, who doesn’t take the oath of office for another month, helped kill a carefully crafted and bipartisan temporary spending bill after it came under harsh criticism from Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to get Trump elected and is set to oversee government efficiency efforts next year – despite the billions his companies get in government contracts. Musk whipped up opposition to the spending bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Trump responded.Read more about the spending bill they torpedoed by turning House Republicans against it for policy items and the first cost-of-living increase for federal lawmaker salaries since 2009.How the government will be funded and continue functioning after a deadline this Friday will now be the subject of furious discussions. Democrats, who still barely control the Senate, will need to buy in. Republicans, who barely control the House, are likely to need help from House Democrats. And the current president, Joe Biden, will also need to sign the bill...