system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does Congress wait until something is about to expire to pass a new law.  

To me it seems like if you had a deadline you know about why not start working on it, and find a better solution. Better then throwing a plan together before shit hits the fan? This seems to happen with a lot with big issues recently the debt ceiling , farm bill,  and the fiscal cliff etc.. 

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks its so they can hide more from the public to make a few rich.
gpt
They often do pass laws in a timely fashion...they just don't earn enough press.

But largely it is a negotiation tactic, kind of a game of chicken.  Something bad is on the horizon, they try to whip up press blaming each other, then hopes the other side blinks first and gives up a little more in compromise.

The impending cliff is a little different.  There are a lot of things in it that either party *wants* to happen.  Politically speaking, it is easier to let them happen and blame the cliff, rather than having to stand up and vote for them.