VOA标准英语2012--President Obama Calls on Congress to Pass Buffett Rule

President Obama Calls on Congress to Pass Buffett Rule

Wealthy investor¹ compares current tax rate

Investor Whitney Tilson wants to share more of his wealth with the rest of America. "It is hard to make the argument that the top one percent in this country are suffering somehow," he said.

He is part of a a group called Patriotic² Millionaires who back the Buffett Rule, with support from his office manager, Kelli Alires. 

“My adjusted gross income is 39 times higher than hers. Not 39 percent higher, 39 times higher. Her federal tax rate, including payroll³ taxes, 33.4 percent, and mine, using the same calculation, is 24.6 percent. So her tax rate was 36 percent higher than mine," said Tilson. "Despite the fact that I made 39 times as much money as she did." 

“Should millionaires get a tax break because, you know, everyone else pays more? That doesn’t make that, no, I don’t think that’s fair,” added Alires.

Buffett Rule

The Buffett Rule gained traction⁴ after billionaire investor Warren Buffett compared his income tax rate of 17 percent with his secretary's rate of 29 percent. "I think people at the high end, people like myself, should be paying a lot more in taxes," he stated.

President Obama agrees and proposes that anyone making more than $1 million dollars a year pay at least 30 percent to the federal government. 

Buffett and many other rich Americans often pay a lower tax rate because they make their millions and billions from investments, and pay a capital gains tax of just 15 percent. 

Critics

Republican critics say the measure would discourage business owners from hiring. Arizona Senator Jon Kyl this week led his party in voting down a Senate bill on the Buffett Rule, which he calls an attack by President Obama on the wealthy.

"He thinks the government should take more from some people just because they're rich," Kyl said. "Even if the tax increases hurt the economy."

Rule, more about fairness

Tilson disagrees, "I don’t think this is about class warfare⁵, I think this is about common sense, basic fareness. Who in their right minds thinks it makes sense for me, making 39 times more than my secretary and her paying a 36 percent higher federal tax rate. Right. It’s not class warfare to point that out," he said. 

Tilson says the Buffett Rule is not a negotiating tool that Democrats⁶ are going to give up on. He calls it a must have. 

1 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

2 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

3 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

4 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

5 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》