[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 56 (Monday, March 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S4655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                            MORNING BUSINESS

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          IS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? THE VOTERS HAVE SAID YES

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the impression simply will not go away; the 
enormous Federal debt greatly resembles the energizer bunny on 
television. The Federal debt keeps going and going and going--always at 
the expense, of course, of the American taxpayers.
  A lot of politicians talk a good game, when they go home to campaign 
about bringing Federal deficits and the Federal debt under control. But 
so many of these same politicians regularly voted for one bloated 
spending bill after another during the 103d Congress, which could have 
been a primary factor in the new configuration of U.S. Senators as a 
result of last November's elections.
  In any event, Mr. President, as of Friday, March 24, at the close of 
business, the total Federal debt stood--down to the penny--at exactly 
$4,846,988,457,046.59 or $18,399.25 per person.
  The lawyers have a Latin expression which they use frequently--``res 
ipra loquitur''--``the thing speaks for itself.'' Indeed it does.


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