Lack of Job Growth Could Derail Obama's Legislative Agenda

Picture a public-policy environment in which the most important, economy-related bills can't get through the U.S. Congress. A budget is passed by the Senate, but it fails in the House. A package of tax incentives aimed at increasing investment passes the House and Senate, but is vetoed by President Obama. Meanwhile, other important issues like financial-services reform and energy policy receive little attention because the House remains obsessed with overturning health-care reform legislation approved earlier. The stock market becomes rattled by all the uncertainty. Could this scenario happen?