Budget season is upon us, which can only mean one thing: Get ready for more debt and deadlock.

Every single year, Washington, D.C., goes through the same ritualistic charade. The president sends a massive budget request up to Capitol Hill — in this case, a $4.7 trillion budget that includes a hike in defense, weak Medicare savings, and a balanced budget within 15 years — one filled with hundreds of billions of dollars on programs and policies the administration considers top priorities for the nation. Lawmakers in the opposition party take a few minutes to review the request before customarily throwing all the hard work in the garbage. Individual lawmakers release their own budget proposals in order to demonstrate to their constituents how responsible and workman-like they are. And the budget and appropriations committees knock heads for the remainder of the year until they send a product to the floor, where it may or may not be debated and passed.