[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 22 (Thursday, March 3, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            IRRESPONSIBLE CONGRESS? HERE IS TODAY'S BOXSCORE

  Mr. HELMS. Madam President, anyone even remotely familiar with the 
U.S. Constitution knows that no President can spend a dime of Federal 
tax money that has not first been authorized and appropriated by 
Congress--both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
  So when you hear a politician or an editor or a commentator declare 
that ``Reagan ran up the Federal debt'' or that ``Bush ran it up,'' 
bear in mind that it was, and is, the constitutional duty of Congress 
to control Federal spending. Congress has failed miserably in that task 
for about 50 years.
  The fiscal irresponsibility of Congress has created a Federal debt 
which stood at $4,554,851,980,565.91 as of the close of business 
yesterday, March 2. Averaged out, every man, woman, and child in 
America owes a share of this massive debt, and that per capita share is 
$17,470.89.

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