美国国家公共电台 NPR--President Biden wants a gas tax holiday. Some economists say that's a bad idea

President Biden wants a gas tax holiday. Some economists¹ say that's a bad idea

Transcript²

Inflation is the top issue for voters as fall's midterm elections near. Biden wants Congress to suspend the gas tax until the end of September in a bid to give consumers some relief.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

We all know it's costing a lot to fill up at the gas station - nearly $100 for me the other day. People are upset about it, and President Biden is getting a lot of the blame. So today he's planning to announce that he wants Congress to lift a federal gas tax to give people a break this summer. But economists say this might help oil companies more than drivers. Here with more is NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordo?ez. Good morning, Franco.

FRANCO ORDO?EZ, BYLINE³: Good morning, Leila.

FADEL: So, Franco, what's the president planning to say today?

ORDO?EZ: You know, this afternoon he's going to say he wants to see a three-month tax holiday until the end of September. This is a tax that is 18 cents a gallon on gas and 24 cents on diesel⁴. And just to be clear, this is something that Congress would need to do, but he's making it clear that he'd support it.

FADEL: OK.

ORDO?EZ: Biden is also calling on states to take similar measures with state taxes on gas. And he wants big companies to boost the supply of gasoline and for retailers⁵ to pass all of those savings⁶ on to the consumers.

FADEL: So what would this mean for all of us at the gas pump?

ORDO?EZ: You know, we'll see what's actually approved. But the economists I speak with are not optimistic. Some are actually pretty blunt that this is a bad idea. Jason Furman, who served as a top economic adviser⁷ to former President Barack Obama - he told me the main reason this is a bad idea is that oil companies will pocket most of the money, and American drivers probably won't get much of the benefit - probably just pennies in savings.

JASON FURMAN: It would be very unlikely that gas prices would fall by more than a dime⁸ because of this change, and oil company profits would go up by billions of dollars.

ORDO?EZ: And I also talked to Carola Binder⁹. She teaches economics at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. She said it could hurt the economy by providing a stimulus¹⁰ at - right at the same time when the government is trying to get a handle on out-of-control spending.

CAROLA BINDER: By making gas cheaper, that allows people to buy more of it. It's giving them a tax cut, and that gives them more to spend elsewhere, so that - it's going to lead to more inflationary pressures elsewhere.

ORDO?EZ: Now, senior administration officials held a call with reporters last night, and they were pressed about whether there was any way to force oil companies and retailers to pass the savings along to consumers. Well, they said the president was calling on companies to pass those savings along but that it is really ultimately up to CEOs to think of their customers and not just their shareholders¹¹.

FADEL: OK, so the Biden administration must know the pitfalls¹² of this move. Why are they doing it?

ORDO?EZ: You know, Biden is in a very tough situation. Republicans are blaming him for high gas prices and out-of-control inflation. Polls show Americans are very dissatisfied with how Biden is handling the economy. So there is a real demand for him to do something. And, of course, there are midterm elections coming up in November. And look, the administration acknowledges that this tax holiday won't fix all the problems, but they do say that it will provide families a little help, especially during the summer driving season, while they work on a more lasting¹³ solution.

FADEL: White House correspondent Franco Ordo?ez. Thank you.

ORDO?EZ: Thanks, Leila.

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

5 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

6 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

7 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

8 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

9 binder   

n.包扎物，包扎工具；[法]临时契约；粘合剂；装订工

参考例句：

• The cloth flower snaps on with a special binder.这布花是用一种特殊的粘合剂固定住的。
• Purified water was used as liquid binder.纯净水作为液体粘合剂。

10 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

11 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

12 pitfalls   

（捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误

参考例句：

• the potential pitfalls of buying a house 购买房屋可能遇到的圈套
• Several pitfalls remain in the way of an agreement. 在达成协议的进程中还有几个隐藏的困难。

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。