[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S3383]
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 don't have the slightest 
idea about the enormity of the Federal debt. Occasionally, I ask 
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 over $5 trillion.
  To be exact, as of the close of business Monday, April 15, the total 
Federal debt--down to the penny--stood at $5,140,011,407,773.15. That's 
$5 trillion, 140 billion plus. Another sad statistic is that on a per 
capita basis, every man, woman and child in America owes $19,422.38.
  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 owes more than $5 million-million.
  Sort of boggles the mind, doesn't it?

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