The Federal Budget year is from Oct 1st to Sept 30th.
The President has to have his Budget request submitted to Congress in February, and all of Congress' compromises and appropriations completed, and signed by the President by October 1st every year.
The following are steps in the Budget process:
1. President submits a request to Congress.
2. The House and Senate pass budget resolutions.
3. House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees review appropriations bills.
4. The Congress votes on the appropriations bills and reconcile differences.
5. The President signs each appropriations bill and the budget is enacted.
All by October 1st. Let's get back to this. Stop "Continuing Resolutions" and "Fiscal Cliffs".