“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear,” Ronald Reagan said back in in 1964. “Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Unfortunately for American taxpayers, in many ways the Gipper’s words are even more true today than they were back then.

One thing breathing eternal life into government programs is “unauthorized appropriations” — spending that Congress makes available for programs that have lapsed in their authorization.