[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S10315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           WAS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? LOOK AT THE ARITHMETIC

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, before contemplating today's bad news about 
the Federal debt, let us have ``another go,'' as the British put it, 
with our little pop quiz. Remember. One question, one answer.
  The question: How many millions of dollars does it take to make a 
trillion dollars? While you are thinking about it, bear in mind that it 
was the U.S. Congress that ran up the Federal debt that now exceeds 
$4.9 trillion.
  To be exact, as of the close of business yesterday, Tuesday, July 18, 
the total Federal debt--down to the penny--stood at 
$4,929,786,301,717.48, of which, on a per capita basis, every man, 
woman, and child in America owes $18,713.55.
  Mr. President, back to the pop quiz: How many million in a trillion? 
There are a million million in a trillion.


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