[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 54 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4488-S4489]
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, 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 both the 
House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
  So when you hear politicians or editors or commentators declare that 
``Reagan ran up the Federal debt'' or that ``Bush ran it up,'' bear in 
mind that the Founding Fathers made it very clear that it is the 
constitutional duty of Congress to control Federal spending.
  The fiscal irresponsibility of Congress has created a Federal debt 
which stood at $4,844,512,611,537.49 as of the 
[[Page S4489]] close of business Wednesday, March 22. Averaged out, 
every man, woman, and child in America owes a share of this massive 
debt, and that per capita share is $18,389.85.

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