美国国家公共电台 NPR Trump's Tax Plan Renews Anxieties About Deficits And The Debt

 

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Tax cuts for individuals as well as businesses are still very much a live issue in Washington. President Trump¹ wants both, but economists² are worried his plan could push up annual deficits⁴ and the country's overall debt. As NPR's John Ydstie reports, prominent Republicans are voicing concern.

JOHN YDSTIE, BYLINE⁵: Treasury⁶ Secretary Mnuchin minced⁷ no words as he unveiled an outline of the president's tax proposal in April.

(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)

STEVEN MNUCHIN: We will have a massive tax cut for businesses and massive tax reform in simplification.

YDSTIE: And Mnuchin said the tax cut will largely pay for itself by boosting U.S. economic growth which will generate more tax revenue.

(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)

MNUCHIN: We believe we can get back to 3 percent or higher GDP that is sustainable in this country.

YDSTIE: That's about double the growth rate in the U.S. economy last year. David Stockman, the budget director in the Reagan White House in the 1980s, is highly skeptical⁸.

DAVID STOCKMAN: The idea that some combination of loophole closing plus added growth would pay for this $7.5 trillion revenue loss that they're talking about I think is just completely fanciful and irresponsible.

YDSTIE: But, Stockman says, the argument does have a familiar ring.

STOCKMAN: It's the same story they told back in the 1980s when I was there, and I never believed it then. And I was right on the front line. I said, sure, you'll get some additional economic growth, but most of the revenue loss has to be paid for with spending cuts. You have to earn it. You can't, you know, wave a magic wand.

YDSTIE: The Trump administration says one other place they'll get revenue for their big tax cut is by closing tax loopholes, but Stockman doesn't believe Congress will go along. Take the $180 billion a year that companies deduct⁹ for providing health benefits.

STOCKMAN: Not a chance that would be tampered¹¹ with.

YDSTIE: How about the $200 billion a year companies and individuals deduct for contributions to retirement¹² plans and pensions?

STOCKMAN: I can't believe there's a remote possibility they would tamper¹⁰ with that.

YDSTIE: And, Stockman points out, the administration has taken popular deductions¹³ like the ones for mortgage interest and charitable giving off the table. Selling Congress on tax cuts that aren't paid for will be even more difficult because the nation's debt is already projected to move dramatically higher.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says by 2035, it will return to the record levels experienced just after World War II. That's without the potential trillions in debt that could be added by the Trump tax cuts. Stockman worries that to finance the debt, the government will soak up funds in the economy that would otherwise be invested by businesses.

STOCKMAN: And then slow down therefore the growth of productivity and investment.

YDSTIE: That could hurt U.S. living standards. Many Republicans in Congress have made deficit³ and debt reduction a huge issue. Members of the Conservative Freedom Caucus¹⁴ have been vehement¹⁵ about it. And moderate Republicans like Congressman¹⁶ Tom Reed of New York are also concerned.

TOM REED: So until you see the entire picture, I'm going to keep my powder dry, but I will tell you that type of debt increase is something I would be gravely concerned about.

YDSTIE: Reed, who spoke¹⁷ to us while he was making the rounds back in his district in western New York, says he hopes Trump and the Congress can find a way to pay for the tax cuts.

REED: Hopefully there's a way we can bridge this difference and make sure that we get to revenue neutrality.

YDSTIE: For Reed, that could include supporting a modified form of the border adjustment tax, the tax on imports being pushed by Paul Ryan and Republican leaders in the House. John Ydstie, NPR News, Washington.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 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》

3 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

4 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

7 minced   

v.切碎( mince的过去式和过去分词 )；剁碎；绞碎；用绞肉机绞（食物，尤指肉）

参考例句：

• He minced over to serve us. 他迈着碎步过来招待我们。
• A young fop minced up to George and introduced himself. 一个花花公子扭扭捏捏地走到乔治面前并作了自我介绍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

9 deduct   

vt.扣除，减去

参考例句：

• You can deduct the twenty - five cents out of my allowance.你可在我的零用钱里扣去二角五分钱。
• On condition of your signing this contract,I will deduct a percentage.如果你在这份合同上签字，我就会给你减免一个百分比。

10 tamper   

v.干预，玩弄，贿赂，窜改，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• Do not tamper with other's business.不要干预别人的事。
• They had strict orders not to tamper with the customs of the minorities.他们得到命令严禁干涉少数民族的风俗习惯。

11 tampered   

v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄

参考例句：

• The records of the meeting had been tampered with. 会议记录已被人擅自改动。 来自辞典例句
• The old man's will has been tampered with. 老人的遗嘱已被窜改。 来自辞典例句

12 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

13 deductions   

扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演

参考例句：

• Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现，而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
• You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促，毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。

14 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

15 vehement   

adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的

参考例句：

• She made a vehement attack on the government's policies.她强烈谴责政府的政策。
• His proposal met with vehement opposition.他的倡导遭到了激烈的反对。

16 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

17 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。