[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 118 (Friday, August 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              IS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? YOU BE THE JUDGE

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, before we ponder today's bad news about the 
Federal debt, let us have a little pop quiz: How many million dollars 
would you say are in a trillion dollars? And when you answer that, just 
remember that Congress has run up a debt exceeding $4\1/2\ trillion 
dollars.
  To be exact, as of the close of business this past Thursday, August 
18, the Federal debt stood--down to the penny--at $4,670,703,740,629.23 
meaning that every man, woman and child in America owes $17,915.25 
computed on a per capita basis.
  Mr. President, to answer the question--how many million in a 
trillion? There are a million million dollars in a trillion dollars. I 
remind you, the Federal Government, thanks to the U.S. Congress, owes 
more than $4\1/2\ trillion.

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