Budget Battle Breeds Dysfunctional Spending

The Oct. 16 deal that ended the shutdown kept the government funded at levels set by last year's budget. For the Secret Service, that meant millions to protect presidential nominees—from 2012.

This is the consequence of Washington's budget dysfunction: Stopgap spending bills that keep the government running, passed by Congress in the absence of a comprehensive deal, often keep federal policies in place that no longer make sense.