[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 115 (Tuesday, August 16, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         IS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? YOU BE THE JUDGE ABOUT THAT

  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 
Congres--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 $4,666,432,889,364.19 as of the close of business 
Monday, August 15. Averaged out, every man, woman and child in America 
owes a share of this massive debt, and that per capita share is 
$17,898.87.

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