The Inner Monologue

It’s complicated, but it’s not that complicated.

Every few years, America repeats the same self-inflicted wound: the federal government shuts down because Congress can’t agree on a budget. Paychecks stop. National parks close. Federal workers become political hostages. The world’s largest economy becomes a punchline.

The truth is, this keeps happening because we designed it to happen. We built a budget system that guarantees crisis. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If Congress and the President truly wanted a stable, responsible government, they could adopt a hybrid model that blends the stability of mandatory spending with the flexibility of annual budgeting — a system that’s automatic where it must be and adaptable where it should be.

Here’s how.

1. The Three-Rail System

Rail A — Always On

This covers the essentials: Social Security, veterans’ benefits, military pay, pensions, and debt service. These are obligations, not options. They continue no matter what, by law. These are permanently mandatory — and untouchable by shutdowns or political brinkmanship.

Rail B — Smart Autopilot

Programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment insurance stay on a long-term track but with smart triggers built in. When the economy slows, support automatically rises. When it recovers, spending naturally tapers down. Every ten years, these programs get a built-in review and adjustment — not a hostage situation, just responsible maintenance.

Rail C — Adaptive Budgeting

This is where annual democracy happens. Research, education grants, infrastructure projects, and innovation funds still go through yearly appropriations. Congress debates priorities, reallocates funds, and experiments — the way it’s supposed to.

2. Built-In Shutdown Protection

If Congress misses a funding deadline, the Adaptive layer automatically renews at 98% of the previous year’s level. No agencies close, no furloughs, no pay gaps.
Every 90 days without a deal, funding edges down slightly — enough to motivate compromise but never enough to harm the nation. Government keeps running. People keep working. The economy keeps breathing.

3. Accountability Without Chaos

Every major program would be tied to performance metrics reviewed by an independent, bipartisan panel every decade. Programs that work stay funded. Those that don’t can be revised or restructured — through debate, not disaster.

And the entire system would be transparent. Citizens could see, in real time, where the money goes and whether it’s working. Accountability becomes data-driven, not drama-driven.

4. The Result: A Grown-Up Government

This hybrid system doesn’t eliminate politics — it just removes the need to weaponize the budget. Congress can still fight over priorities. Presidents can still push for new programs. But no one can shut down the country to make a point.

It stabilizes the essentials, modernizes the rest, and ends the cycle of chaos. It’s not utopian; it’s just good engineering.

5. Why This Isn’t Hard

We already do versions of this. The Federal Reserve adjusts automatically to economic conditions. States use continuing resolutions. Social Security and Medicare run on permanent authorizations. The mechanisms exist — they just need to be connected with intent and discipline.

In short: this isn’t radical. It’s rational.

6. The Real Question

We have the tools. We have the models. We have the math. The only thing missing is political courage.

If Congress and the President truly wanted a government that runs like a modern nation instead of a malfunctioning vending machine, this is how they’d build it.

It’s complicated, yes.
But it’s not that complicated.