Broadcast: May 10,
2003
President Bush Urges Congress to Reduce
Taxes
President Bush wants
Congress to cut taxes, a move he says will create more jobs in a struggling
U.S. economy. Republicans and Democrats are divided over the size of those
cuts.
With both houses of
Congress now agreeing on the need for lower taxes, the challenge for President
Bush is getting tax cuts big enough to meet his goal of a million new jobs by the
time he runs for re-election next year.
The Senate Monday opens
debate on a $350 billion plan. That is less than what the president wants but
is still larger than the goal set by some Democrats.
The president has given up
on his original proposal of more than $700 billion in cuts over the next 10
years. Now, he is pushing for a $550 billion plan approved Friday by the
Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
"We need at least
$550 billion in tax 1)relief over the next decade, big enough to make a real
difference in the 2)paychecks of American workers, big enough to help 3)entrepreneurs create
more jobs, and big enough to give our economy the 4)boost it needs," the president said.
In his weekly radio 5)address, the
president said April's six percent U.S. unemployment rate shows that Congress
needs to act quickly.
"These reforms would
bring immediate help throughout our economy," he stressed. "They
would leave more money in the hands of families who need it, to make purchases
and pay the bills. And this tax relief would give employers greater 6)incentives and
resources to invest in new equipment. The result will be more jobs, and that is
our goal."
Democrats say the
president's plan unfairly favors the rich by eliminating taxes on 7)corporate 8)dividends,
and provides no help to state governments facing their own budget 9)shortfalls.
In the Democratic response
to the president's radio address, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey says
bigger federal tax cuts mean less money for the states.
"Every dollar we are
in the red is a dollar that we can't invest in our economy, schools that won't
be built, bridges that won't be repaired and jobs that won't be created,"
governor McGreevey said. " Today, 46 states face 10)crippling
budget 11)deficits
totaling $70 billion. Any plan to stimulate the country's 12)sagging economy
can't succeed, unless the states are part of the economic recovery."
Governor McGreevey says
state budget deficits will force tax increases and service cuts that will hurt
the overall economy and drive up the deficit.
"We need to
understand that the administration's economic proposals will result in even
larger deficits, a bigger mountain of debt and more 13)borrowing to pay
our bills. It's the opposite of recovery," he said.
The New Jersey governor
says the Democratic plan would return the nation to the days of balanced
budgets and what he calls "responsible spending" by investing in
education, roads, and small businesses to create more jobs.
Scott Stearns VOA news at the White House.
1) relief
[ri5li:f]
n.（债务等的）免除
2) paycheck
[`peitFek]
n.付薪水的支票，薪水
3)
entrepreneur
[7CntrEprE5nE:] n.企业家
4)
boost [bu:st] n.增加，提高
5) address [E5dres] n.致辞，演讲
6) incentive
[in5sentiv]
n.刺激，鼓励
7) corporate
[5kC:pErit]
adj.社团的，法人的
8)
dividend [5dividend]
n.股份红利，股息
9)
shortfall [5FC:tfC:l]
n.不足，不足量
10)
crippling [5kripliN]
adj.临界的，极限的
11)
deficit [5defisit]
n.赤字
12)
sag [sA^] v.下陷，下跌
13)
borrowing [5bCrEuiN]
n.借款
播报时间：2003年5月10日
布什总统敦促国会减税
布什总统要求美国国会减税，他说，在美国经济处于挣扎之中的形势下，这一举措将会创造出更多的就业机会。共和党人和民主党人就这次减税的规模没能达成一致。
国会两院目前都同意降低税额的要求，而布什总统现在遇到的挑战是，要获得足够大的减税额，以便在他明年竞选连任前实现创造一百万个新就业机会的目标。
星期一，参议院就一项3500亿美元的方案展开辩论。这一数额比总统要求的要少，但仍然比一些民主党人设定的目标要大。
布什总统已不再坚持在未来10年内减税7000多亿美元的原有计划。现在，他正在积极促成一个5500亿美元的方案，该方案已于星期五在共和党控制的众议院获得通过。
“在未来10年内，我们至少需要5500亿美元的减税额，这足够使美国工人的薪水有真正的改善，也足以帮助企业家们创造更多的就业机会，同时也足以为我们的经济提供其所需的驱动力。”总统说。
总统在他每周一次的广播讲话中说，美国4月份6%的失业率说明，国会应该迅速采取行动了。
“这些改革措施会立即给我们的经济带来帮助。”他强调说，“它们将会使有需要的家庭手中持有更多的钱款，用来购物和支付他们的账单。这一减税举措会给雇主们带来更大的驱动力和财力，使他们投资购买新设备。这样做的结果是，将会有更多的就业机会，而这正是我们的目标。”
民主党人说，总统的计划中有关削减公司股息税的作法十分不公平，只对富人有利，而且对同样面临预算不足的各州政府没有提供任何帮助。
在民主党对总统广播讲话的回应中，新泽西州州长詹姆斯·麦克格瑞威说，联邦减税额越大就意味着各州得到的钱越少。
“赤字中的每一美元都意味着有一美元我们是不能投入到我们的经济中去的，学校将不能修建、桥梁将无法维修、就业机会将无法创造。”麦克格瑞威州长说，“今天，已经有46个州面临极限的预算赤字，总额达700亿美元。任何打算刺激疲软经济的方案都不会成功，除非各州同样处在经济复苏之中。”
麦克格瑞威州长说，州预算赤字将迫使各州不得不增加税额，减少服务，而这将对整体经济造成伤害，迫使赤字额上升。
“我们需要了解，政府的经济计划甚至会导致更多的预算赤字、更多累积如山的债务以及更多用来清付我们账单的借款。这走向了经济复苏的反面。”他说。
这位新泽西州长说，民主党的方案将会使国家回到预算平衡的日子，以及回到他所谓的通过投资教育、道路和小企业以创造更多就业机会的“负责任的支出”的轨道上来。
这是“美国之音”新闻部的斯科特斯登兹从白宫发出的报道。
