Déjà vu: As Congress returns to work from summer recess, lawmakers will soon have to pass appropriations to prevent yet another government shutdown.

They may also take up yet another round of what are called “tax extenders,” which are narrow tax breaks that are frequently renewed on a temporary basis and frequently revived past the date of their expiration. Tax extenders are a terrible way to make policy, and Congress should find a better way to legislate than by continually extending short-term tax breaks and enacting retroactive changes.