[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 148 (Wednesday, November 30, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
          IS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? YOU BE THE JUDGE OF THAT

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the incredibly enormous Federal debt is 
like the weather--everybody talks about it but nobody ever does 
anything about it.
  A lot of politicians talk a good game--when they are back home--about 
bringing Federal deficits and the Federal debt under control. But just 
look at how so many of these same politicians regularly vote in support 
of bloated spending bills that roll through the Senate.
  As of Tuesday, November 29, at the close of business, the Federal 
debt stood--down to the penny--at exactly $4,761,962,482,184.16. This 
debt, don't forget, was run up by the Congress of the United States.
  The Founding Fathers decreed that the big-spending bureaucrats in the 
executive branch of the U.S. Government should never be able to spend 
even a dime unless and until the spending had been authorized and 
appropriated by the U.S. Congress.
  The U.S. Constitution is quite specific about that, as every 
schoolboy is supposed to know.
  And do not be misled by declarations by politicians that the Federal 
debt was run up by some previous President or another, depending on 
party affiliation. Sometimes you hear false claims that Ronald Reagan 
ran it up; sometimes they play hit-and-run with George Bush.
  These buck-passing declarations are false, as I said earlier, because 
the Congress of the United States is the culprit. The Senate and the 
House of Representatives are the big spenders.
  Mr. President, most citizens cannot conceive of a billion of 
anything, let alone a trillion. It may provide a bit of perspective to 
bear in mind that a billion seconds ago, Mr. President, the Cuban 
missile crisis was in progress. A billion minutes ago, the crucifixion 
of Jesus Christ had occurred not long before.
  Which sort of puts it in perspective, does it not, that Congress has 
run up this incredible Federal debt totaling 4,761 of those billions--
of dollars. In other words, the Federal debt, as I said earlier, stood 
this morning at 4 trillion, 761 billion, 962 million, 482 thousand, 184 
dollars and 16 cents. It'll be even greater at closing time today.

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