[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 125 (Monday, July 31, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S10923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          WAS CONGRESS IRRESPONSIBLE? CONSIDER THE ARITHMETIC

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, it does not take a rocket scientist to be 
aware that the U.S. Constitution forbids that any President spend even 
a dime of Federal tax money that has not first been authorized and 
appropriated by Congress--both the House of Representatives and the 
U.S. Senate.
  So when a politician or an editor or a commentator pops off that 
``Reagan ran up the Federal debt'' or that ``Bush ran it up,'' bear in 
mind that the Founding Fathers, two centuries before the Reagan and 
Bush Presidencies, made it very clear that it is the constitutional 
duty of Congress--a duty Congress cannot escape--to control Federal 
spending.
  Thus, is it not the fiscal irresponsibility of Congress that has 
created the incredible Federal debt which stood at 
$4,948,204,552,522.39 as of the close of business Friday, July 28?
  This outrageous debt--which will be passed on to our children and 
grandchildren--averages out to $18,783.46 for every man, woman, and 
child in America.


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