[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 97 (Friday, July 22, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              IS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? YOU BE THE JUDGE

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. 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 and 
responsibility 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 $4,628,451,509,457.37 as of the close of business 
Thursday, July 21. Averaged out, every man, woman, and child in America 
owes a share of this massive debt, and that per capita share is 
$17,753.19.

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