On the few issues in Congress where there’s bipartisan support for some kind of action, the idea persists that the body can break through deadlock and pass real change.

It’s even led to discussion of a “secret Congress,” one free of the culture war-infected partisan politics in which legislators are free to quietly, and in a bipartisan fashion, pass meaningful legislation that the country needs.

But is that really true? Take a look at the Endless Frontier Act, a much-heralded package aimed at boosting federal investment in research and development to keep the country competitive with China in science and technology.