[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 36 (Monday, February 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S3143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          WAS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? THE VOTERS HAVE SAID YES

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, before contemplating today's bad news about 
the Federal debt, let's conduct that little pop quiz again: How many 
million dollars are in $1 trillion? When you arrive at an answer, bear 
in mind that it was the Congress of the United States that ran up a 
debt now exceeding $4.8 trillion.
  To be exact, as of the close of business Friday, February 24, the 
Federal debt--down to the penny--stood at $4,838,340,257,340.71--
meaning that every man, woman, and child in America now owes $18,366.42 
computed on a per capita basis.
  Mr. President, again to answer our pop quiz question--how many 
million in a trillion?--there are one million million in a trillion; 
and you can thank the U.S. Congress for the existing Federal debt 
exceeding $4.8 trillion.

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