Members of Congress are demanding more taxpayer protections and more congressional oversight be included in the $700 billion bailout plan that is being debated to rescue failing U.S. financial institutions. Democrats and some Republicans voiced displeasure with the original plan proposed by the Bush administration.
美国国会议员要求在布什政府提出的七千亿美元金融机构救援计划中增加对纳税人的保护和美国国会的监管等内容。对于布什政府提出的最初计划，民主党议员以及一些共和党议员都表示不满。
Lawmakers voiced their concerns as negotiations with the Bush administration continue, and drafts of legislation Congress could consider as early as Wednesday circulated on Capitol Hill.
国会议员们在跟布什政府继续谈判的同时表示了他们的担忧。有关法案目前正在国会山上传阅，国会最早可能在星期三就投票表决这个金融机构救援计划。
Under legislation Congress will consider, the federal government would spend hundreds of billions to purchase de-valued assets, particularly U.S. mortgage debt, that has weighed down key financial companies.
根据有关法案，美国联邦政府将花费数千亿美元收购已经贬值了的资产，特别是美国金融机构难以收回的房屋抵押债务。这些坏帐拖垮了美国一些主要的金融公司。
Holding a copy of the three page proposal originally given to Congress by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Oregon Democrat Peter DeFazio said it would have placed American taxpayers in a vulnerable position:
来自俄勒冈州的民主党众议员彼得·德法兹奥(Peter DeFazio)手里举着财政部长保尔森交给国会的只有三页纸的救援计划初稿，他说，这个计划把美国纳税人放在了一个不堪一击的位置：
"Secretary Paulson wants to set it up so that the taxpayers at best, and in all likelihood this couldn't happen, might break even some day. No, we need to take an equity assurance in these firms or we need to extend them loans. Have them mark down this junk to market it, there is a market for it, it's about 22 cents on the dollar, make them mark it down."
他说：“财政部长保尔森想告诉我们，这样做对纳税人最有利，即使最后没能实现最好的结果，至少也可以在将来的某一天扯平，弄个不赔不赚。不行，我们需要拿这些公司的资产作为担保，或者延长他们的贷款。我们要让他们把他们那些根本不值钱的垃圾资产减价出售，总会卖得掉的，一块钱的东西按两毛二卖，得逼着他们削价。”
Congress needs to apply a more targeted and deliberative approach requiring more than a few days of work, DeFazio said, adding the world will wait for a thoughtful plan.
德法兹奥说，国会需要拿出一个更有针对性、更审慎的态度，这不是几天之内就能决定的，需要更长的时间。他补充说，全世界都在等待著我们拿出一个经过深思熟虑的计划。
Criticism was also heard from Republicans, such as Florida Republican Cliff Stearns, who said the original proposal gave the Treasury Secretary unprecedented authority while offering virtually no oversight. Stearns expressed alarm over the cost:
批评也来自共和党议员，比如佛罗里达州的共和党议员克里夫·斯特恩斯表示，最初的提案给予财政部史无前例的权力，同时实际上却没有任何监督。
"This plan increases our excessively high national debt to $11.3 trillion while also allowing foreign banks which hold U.S. mortgage debt to benefit from the billions provided by this bail out. This plan constitutes the largest government bailout in history yet it does nothing to protect the taxpayers," he said.
斯特恩斯对这笔巨大开支表示警觉：“这个方案使我们国家的债务攀升到11点3万亿美元，同时允许持有美国房贷债务的外国银行也从这个数千亿美元的救援计划中得到好处。这个方案是有史以来规模最大的政府救援计划，然尔它却没有采取任何措施来保护纳税人。”
Describing the administration's initial proposal as a starting point but by no means the final product, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid echoed calls for more accountability in any legislation Congress approves. "We will not let haste abandon good judgment in the process. The Bush administration has called on Congress to rubber stamp its bailout bill without serious debate or efforts to improve it. We can't let that happen," he said.
参议院民主党领袖哈里·雷德(Harry Reid)称当局的初步计划只是个开端而并非最终方案，他也呼吁国会通过的任何法案都必须更负责任。他说：“我们不会因急于求成而失去良好的判断。布什当局敦促国会批准它的援救法案而不必经过认真的讨论或对其作出改善。我们不会让这种事情发生。”
Amid public anger over multi-million dollar salaries paid to executives of failing financial firms, lawmakers have also added provisions that would place limits on executive compensation.
公众对倒闭的金融公司高管拿着数百万美元的薪酬感到气愤，国会议员也在有关法案中加入了一些限制高管薪酬的条款。
Briefing reporters Monday, House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank agreed that the initial bill gave the Treasury Secretary much too much authority.
美国国会众议院金融服务委员会主席弗兰克(Barney Frank)星期一对记者表示，当局的方案给予财政部太多太多的权限。
He says lawmakers are building in provisions to provide more accountability, including judicial review of government asset purchase decisions, and creation of a special board which have a powerful oversight although not operational role. "We are talking about a very powerful board with its own budget and funding that will get all of the reports and all the information, but won't have any operational role, [but will ask] what are you buying, what is your assumption about how you are buying, what kind of companies are you buying it [assets] in?"
他说，国会议员正致力于使该法案的条款更加合理，包括对政府收购资产的决定进行司法审核，以及建立一个特别委员会，以发挥强有力的监督职能。他说：“我们讨论的是一个很有权力，拥有自己的预算和拨款的委员会。这个机构将获得所有的报告和信息，但不会行使任何运作职能。不过，这个委员会有权过问你们购买什么资产，购买资产的理由是什么，购买的是哪种公司的资产。”
Representative Frank says differences remain with the Bush administration over the executive pay issue and provisions on corporate governance, saying lawmakers intend to eliminate "golden parachutes", or large payment packages for executives who leave a company.
弗兰克众议员说，国会(民主党人)和布什行政当局之间在公司高管的薪酬和企业管理的条款上仍然存在分歧。他说，一些议员希望解除所谓的“金降落伞”，停止为那些离开公司的执行官支付巨额报酬。
However, the administration has agreed to provisions aimed at preventing foreclosures on property mortgages the government acquires from companies as part of the bail out plan.
不过，白宫方面同意，在政府收购私人公司房贷坏帐的救援计划中，加上防止屋主丧失住房赎回权的条款。
Lawmakers say they hope the House and Senate will be able to consider and pass identical pieces of legislation, hopefully in the next few days.
至于时间问题，弗兰克众议员说，参众两院都希望能在未来几天内审议和通过内容相同的法案。但至关重要的是，国会和行政当局都要显示他们取得了进步。
However, in Wall Street trading Monday, the key Dow Jones average lost 371 points, reflecting continuing market volatility in the absence of a final deal and legislation to address the U.S. financial crisis.
但是，星期一在华尔街，道琼斯平均指数下滑了371点，显示市场在美国政府没有推出正式救助计划之前仍在继续大幅波动。 |