[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 128 (Thursday, August 3, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S11322]
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, August 2, the 
total federal debt--down to the penny--stood at $4,956,664,786,501.42, 
of which, on a per capita basis, every man, woman and child in America 
owes $18,815.58.
  Mr. President, back to our pop quiz, how many million in a trillion: 
There are a million million in a trillion.


                          ____________________