美國兩黨對聯邦預算依然存在巨大分歧

In Washington, Democrats and Republicans appear no closer to bridging sharp disagreements on reducing America’s trillion-dollar federal deficit and slowing the nation’s ballooning national debt. For now, legislators of both parties are holding firm to partisan budget proposals for current-year federal spending, which ends in September.

在華盛頓，美國國會民主黨議員和共和黨議員在降低美國幾萬億美元的赤字並緩解本國不斷高升的國債問題上，看來並沒接近於彌合兩者之間所存在的巨大分歧。到目前爲止，兩黨的立法人員仍然堅持這一年度的聯邦經費預算提案的本黨立場。這項預算所涉及時段到今年9月底爲止。

Last week, Congress averted a government shutdown by enacting a stop-gap spending measure that funds federal agencies for a two-week period. The rationale was to give legislators and the Obama administration a brief window to negotiate a budget deal for the remainder of the fiscal year.

上星期，國會通過了填補缺口的經費開支措施，避免了在這兩星期期間關閉政府部門。這項開支措施的理由是給予立法人員和奧巴馬政府這一小段時間，通過談判達成這一財政年度所剩餘時間的預算協議。

But with the clock ticking towards another potential funding expiration, signs of compromise and progress remain elusive. Republicans in the House of Representatives have already passed a funding bill that would slash current spending levels by more than $60 billion. The bill is expected to die in the Senate, where Democrats hold a majority.

雖然隨着時光流失，經費開支限期終點又一次迫近，但是還是沒有達成妥協、取得進展的跡象。衆議院的共和黨議員已經通過了一項經費議案，該議案會把目前的開支水平降低六百多億美元。這一議案預計將在參議院遭到否決，民主黨在參議院居多數地位。

Appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation program, Democratic Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts blasted the Republican budget blueprint as reckless and damaging.

民主黨參議員、麻薩諸塞州的克里在哥倫比亞廣播公司的“面對全國”節目上露面時，指責共和黨人的預算計劃是不顧一切、並有破壞作用的。

"I do not believe what we have from the House is a serious economic plan," he said. "I think it is a very dangerous plan. It cuts teachers, it cuts education, it cuts research, it cuts energy research - all the things we need to do to make America number one again and to move into the global marketplace, their [Republican] budget sets us back."

克里說：“我難以相信來自衆議院的議案是嚴肅認真的經濟計劃。我認爲這是一項非常危險的計劃。它減少教師人數、削減教育經費、削減研究資金、削減能源研究經費，而這一切都是我們爲了讓美國再次躍居世界首位並打入全球市場所必須做的事情，然而共和黨人的預算卻讓我們向後倒退。”

Democrats have proposed more modest budget cuts, leaving the two parties tens of billions dollars apart in proposed funding levels. The Senate’s top Republican, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky also appeared on Face the Nation.

民主黨議員提出了比較溫和的預算削減措施，使得這兩黨的所提議的開支水平相差幾百億美元。參議院共和黨領袖、肯塔基州的參議員麥康奈爾也在“面對全國”節目上露面。

"What is reckless is the $1.6-trillion deficit we are running this year," he said. "What is reckless is the $3 trillion we have added to our national debt. Our national debt is not the size of our economy. We begin to look a lot like Greece [in danger of defaulting on debt]."

麥康奈爾說：“今年我們的赤字達一萬六千億美元，這纔是不計後果。我們把國債增加了三萬億美元，這是不計後果的行爲。我們的國債與我們的經濟規模不成比例。我們開始看來與深陷債務的希臘差不多了。”Republicans say deep and painful spending cuts are needed to put America’s fiscal house in order so that the private sector can flourish without the burden of a bloated government sector.

共和黨人說，需要作出令人痛苦的、大幅度的開支削減，才能整頓美國的財政機構，以便讓私有部門得以繁榮，不至受到膨脹的政府部門的擠壓。

Democrats say drastically slashing spending will throw Americans out of work, imperil a fledgling economic recovery, and rob the nation of a better-educated workforce and the technological innovation that will drive economic growth in the future.

民主黨議員說，大量削減開支將使得美國人失去工作，危及正開始復甦的經濟，並且讓國家失去擁有更完善教育的工作隊伍 ，也喪失技術革新，而這兩者在未來將是經濟發展的推動力。

The debate illuminates the classic divide in American politics between conservatives, who see the government as a burden to the free market, and liberals, who see the government as a necessary promoter of progress and the common good.

這場辯論顯示出美國的政治傳統，即保守派和自由派的分歧。保守派認爲政府是自由市場經濟的負擔，而自由派卻認爲政府在促進發展和大衆利益方面是必不可少的。

Despite partisan differences, the Obama administration insists compromise is possible. White House Chief of Staff William Daley spoke on NBC’s Meet the Press program.

儘管存在黨派分歧，但是奧巴馬政府堅持說， 有可能達成妥協。白宮幕僚長戴利在全國廣播公司的“面對媒體”節目上說：

"We are not that far apart," said Daley. "We [Democrats] are at over $50 billion in cuts. The House passed [a bill] that is $100 billion. So we are over half way there [to a deal]."

“我們並沒有多大的分歧。我們民主黨人提出削減五百億美元以上開支，而衆議院通過的議案是削減一千億美元。所以我們在達成協議方面已經走了一半以上的路程了。”

Republicans say the White House’s budgetary math is misleading, noting the administration's cuts come from a proposed 2011 budget that was never enacted and which would have boosted spending.

共和黨人說，白宮估算的預算計劃有誤導作用。他們指出，奧巴馬政府是從尚未執行的2011年預算提案中進行削減，而且那原來是增加開支的提案。

Even if current-year spending levels are agreed to and a government shutdown is averted, negotiators have yet to tackle next year’s budget, meaning the current partisan stand-off could be repeated six months from now.

即使兩黨在這一財政年度的開支水平上達成了一致、而且也避免了關閉政府，但是談判人員還是得處理下一財政年度的預算問題，那意味目前的黨派對峙局面六個月後將會重演。

In addition, neither party has submitted proposals to reform entitlement programs that provide income and medical care for retirees. Those programs are projected to add trillions of dollars to America’s national debt in coming decades.

此外，兩黨還沒有呈交改革政府津貼項目的提議，也就是爲退休人員提供收入和醫療照顧的項目。那些項目預計將在幾十年後增加幾萬億美元的美國國債。