[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 32 (Monday, March 11, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S1668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE BAD DEBT BOXSCORE

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, a vast percentage of Americans don't have 
the slightest idea about the enormity of the Federal debt. Ever 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 that they do know is that it is the U.S. Congress that ran 
up the enormous Federal debt that now exceeds $5 trillion. To be exact, 
as of the close of business Friday, March 8, the total Federal debt 
stood at $5,017,686,664,137.86. On a per capita basis, every man, 
woman, and child in America owes $19,045.56 of this debt.

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