Yesterday's Washington Post contained an op-ed by Republican Senator Jeff Sessions in which made several dubious claims, most notably that he and his fellow Republicans -- who have supported costly wars and massive tax cuts -- are serious about deficit reduction. Dubious claims, even those undermined by the writer's own recent history, are commonly accepted as the price of granting op-ed space to politicians. Explicit falsehoods, however, cannot be justified on such grounds, and the Washington Post should promptly correct this one:

As we enter the annual budget season, Washington will need to consider the kind of change this country has not accomplished since 1997 - when a strong Republican Congress passed a budget that converted soaring deficits into surpluses.

Prior to the passage of the budget in question, deficits were not “soaring.” They were decreasing, due in part to Bill Clinton's 1993 budget, passed in Congress without a single Republican vote. Here's a chart, based on Congressional Budget Office data:

As you can see, deficits were clearly not “soaring” in 1997. They were declining rapidly, which is the opposite of “soaring.” The Washington Post owes its readers a correction.