[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 123 (Thursday, July 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S10776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          WAS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? CONSIDER THE ARITHMETIC

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, before discussing today's bad news about 
the Federal debt, how about ``another go,'' as the British put it, with 
our 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, Wednesday, July 
26, the total Federal debt--down to the penny--stood at 
$4,941,608,987,271.97, of which, on a per capita basis, every man, 
woman, and child in America owes $18,758.43.
  Mr. President, back to our pop quiz, how many million in a trillion: 
There are a million million in a trillion.


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