Coming up with a budget is the most basic duty of Congress. It’s something every family, every business and most states are required to do every year.

But the past 40 years, Congress has only successfully done its job four times -- the last time was 1996. Instead of doing its job, Congress cuts corners and regularly passes short-term spending bills – called continuing resolutions, or CRs – that just keep government funded at existing levels.

The result is that no reforms to government programs, even programs that we know don’t work, are allowed to even be voted on. Our military is u...