[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 116 (Friday, September 5, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S8870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S8870]]
                       THE VERY BAD DEBT BOXSCORE

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, too many Americans have not the foggiest 
notion about the enormity of the Federal debt. Every so often, I ask 
various groups, how many millions of dollars are there in a trillion? 
They think about it, voice some estimates, most of them not even close.
  They are stunned when they learn the facts, such as the case today. 
To be exact, as of 10:08 a.m. today, September 5, 1997, the total 
Federal debt--down to the penny--stood at $5,414,792,993,913.96.
  Another astonishing statistic is that on a per capita basis, every 
man, woman, and child in America owes $20,203.80.
  As for how many millions of dollars there are in a trillion, there 
are a million in a trillion, which means that the Federal Government 
owes more than five million million dollars.

                          ____________________