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Ruppersberger Pushes For Deficit Donation Bill

TIMONIUM, Md. (AP) -- Maryland Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger is introducing legislation to ensure money donated by citizens to chip away at the federal deficit is actually used for that purpose. Ruppersberger, a Democrat, announced the legislation on Tuesday.

The congressman says American citizens have donated about $81.7 million to help reduce the debt since President John F. Kennedy signed a law creating the program in 1961. But the donations have been deposited in the Treasury Department's general fund, the government's main checking account.

Ruppersberger is calling the legislation the "Restoring Integrity to Public Debt Donations Act."

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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