Any agreement on debt limit must be honest

Congress and the American people deserve a full opportunity to review and consider any debt limit deal that is struck behind closed doors. It has also been reported that some considered pursuing gimmicks to achieve the appearance of greater savings. That too is unacceptable. Any plan must be free of gimmicks and accounting tricks. It must be honest.

Additionally, raising the debt ceiling should not be accompanied by tax hikes. A punishing tax increase would not only threaten needed growth, it would also give a free pass to the egregious overspending in Washington—a behavior that is both morally and economically culpable for our current crisis. Federal government spending already controls nearly 25 percent of our economy and is on course to rise dramatically higher. Ultimately, $2 trillion is just the beginning of what we can and must cut to get our country back on a responsible path.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee.