[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S14402]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE BAD DEBT BOXSCORE

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, on the memorable evening in 1972 when I was 
first elected to the Senate, I made a commitment to myself that I would 
never fail to see a young person, or a group of young people, who 
wanted to see me.
  It has proved enormously beneficial to me because I have been 
inspired by the estimated 60,000 young people with whom I have visited 
during the nearly 23 years I have been in the Senate.
  Most of them have been concerned about the enormity of the Federal 
debt that Congress has run up for the coming generations to pay.
  The young people and I almost always discuss the fact that under the 
U.S. Constitution, no President can spend a dime of Federal money that 
has not been authorized and appropriated by both the House and Senate 
of the United States.
  That is why I began making these daily reports to the Senate on 
February 22, 1992. I wanted to make a matter of daily record of the 
precise size of the Federal debt which as of yesterday, Tuesday, 
September 26, stood at $4,953,250,764,121.84 or $18,802.63 for every 
man, woman, and child in America on a per capita basis.
  Mr. BURNS. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to 
speak for 15 minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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