[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE BAD DEBT BOXSCORE

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, a lot of folks do not have the slightest 
idea about the enormity of the Federal debt. Every so often, I ask 
groups of friends, how many millions of dollars are there in a 
trillion? They think about it, voice some estimates, most of them 
wrong.
  One thing they do know is that it was the U.S. Congress that ran up 
the enormous Federal debt that is now about $13 billion shy of $5 
trillion. To be exact, as of the close of business yesterday, February 
5, the total Federal debt--down to the penny--stood at 
$4,987,400,986,833.50. Another sad statistic is that on a per capita 
basis, every man, woman, and child in America owes $18,930.61.
  So, Mr. President, how many million are there in a trillion? There 
are a million million in a trillion, which means that the Federal 
Government will shortly owe 5 million million dollars.
  Sort of boggles the mind, doesn't it?

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