[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 22, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S2954]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          IS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? THE VOTERS HAVE SAID YES!

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the incredibly enormous Federal debt is a 
lot like television's well-known energizer bunny--it keeps going and 
going--at the expense, of course, of the American taxpayers.
  A lot of politicians talk a good game--when they are back home--about 
bringing Federal deficits and the Federal debt under control. But so 
many of these same politicians regularly voted in support of bloated 
spending bills during the 103d Congress--which perhaps is a primary 
factor in the new configuration of U.S. Senators.
  This is a rather distressing fact as the 104th Congress gets down to 
business. As of Tuesday, February 21, 1995, the Federal debt stood--
down to the penny--at exactly $4,834,640,034,065.84 or $18,352.38 per 
person.
  Mr. President, it is important that all of us monitor, closely and 
constantly the incredible cost we incur each week due to this debt. As 
a matter of fact, in the past week the debt has increased over $25 
billion.
  Mr. President, my hope is that the 104th Congress can bring under 
control the outrageous spending that created this outrageous debt. If 
the party now controlling both Houses of Congress, as a result of the 
November elections last year, does not do a better job of getting a 
handle on this enormous debt, the American people are not likely to 
overlook it in 1996.




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