Congressional Democrats, Economic Experts Discuss New Stimulus Package
美国会民主党讨论新刺激经济计划

　
Majority Democrats in Congress met with economic experts on Capitol Hill Monday to discuss a new package of steps to stimulate the U.S. economy. Minority Republicans say they agree on the need for new legislation to help the economy, but call Democrats' proposals insufficient.

美国国会多数党民主党的议员星期一在国会和经济专家探讨新的刺激经济一揽子计划。 占少数的共和党议员说，他们同意有必要出台促进经济的新立法，但是他们说民主党的提议还不够。

As Wall Street experienced a dramatic one day recovery of nearly 1,000 points after last week's sharp declines, Democrats were making clear they intend to take further steps to help Americans battered by recent financial market losses, and reform financial markets.

华尔街证券市场上星期股市暴跌以后，星期一股市猛升将近一千点。与此同时，民主党明确表示，他们有意采取进一步步骤，帮助美国因应最近的金融市场的损失，改革金融市场。

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other key Democrats met behind closed doors with a group of economic experts, and afterwards Pelosi summarized what a new stimulus package would include.

众议院议长佩洛西和其他主要民主党议员举行闭门会议，会见了一些经济专家。此后，佩洛西总结说明，新的刺激经济计划应该包括什么内容。

"A recovery package will have some of the features we have had before, about infrastructure, health care, aid to the states for health for children and seniors, food stamps and unemployment insurance in this time of rising unemployment," said Nancy Pelosi.

她说：“复兴计划将包括我们过去提出的一些特点，目前失业率上升，我们要在基础设施、卫生保健、援助各州儿童和老人的健康、食品券以及失业保险等领域采取措施。”

Pelosi was non-committal when asked about how much this would cost, saying more clarity will come from congressional hearings before and after the November 4th U.S. presidential election.

记者问到，这些措施需要花多少钱，佩洛西没有具体答复，她说在11月4号美国总统大选结束前后的国会听政过程中会作出更明确的说明。

Steny Hoyer is the House Democratic Majority Leader.

"[Hearings] to look in the very short term, but nevertheless in a considered fashion at what options will best help our economy recover and particularly how best to help those who are most vulnerable and most in need," said Steny Hoyer.

Joseph Stiglitz, recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Economics, said there was "remarkable agreement" among economists who met with lawmakers about the need for a comprehensive recovery program.

2001年诺贝尔经济学奖得主斯蒂格利茨说，和国会议员会面的经济学家一致认为，有必要提出一个恢复经济的综合计划。

". . . not just based on trickle down economics, not just giving money to financial markets, but going directly, at least some of the money going directly, to households to meet infrastructure needs, to meet the variety of challenges facing our society today," said Joseph Stiglitz.

他说：“不仅是基于经济成果逐步扩散的理论，不仅是向金融市场投放资金，而是直接干预，至少把部分资金直接送到民众的家中，满足基础设施的需求，应对我们社会所面临的各种挑战。”

In addition, says Stiglitz, the program must be efficient and well-designed, and consistent with longer-term U.S. economic needs and prospects for growth.

Arthur Leavitt, who headed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 1993 to 2001, strongly endorsed Democrat's plans to address financial market and regulatory reforms when a new Congress convenes next year.

1993到2001年间担任美国证券交易委员会主席的莱维特坚决支持民主党关于在国会明年复会以后讨论金融市场和管理条例改革的计划。

"We are here [in this financial situation] today not because of what happened in the last year, but because of what happened perhaps over the last two decades," said Arthur Leavitt. "We have an opportunity now to make a difference. And the thrust of everything that happened today was to take a look at that and decide how we will restore investor confidence."

他说：“我们面临今天的经济形势，不是因为去年发生的问题，而是因为过去二十年来积累的问题，我们现在有了变革的机会。今天发生的所有这些变化，要求我们仔细思考，然后决定我们将如何恢复投资者的信心。”

Allen Sinai, noted economist and consultant to several U.S. presidential administrations, said there is no doubt that the U.S. economy is in recession.

著名经济学家、多届美国总统的经济顾问艾伦.西奈说，勿庸置疑，美国的经济已经进入衰退。

"Look, the U.S. economy is in recession, the global economy is in recession," said Allen Sinai. "We - Washington and Americans - are working through the most severe financial crisis we have had since the 1930s. I think all Americans know the score."

“美国的经济已经进入衰退，全球经济也进入了衰退。我们的政府和人民正在应对1930年代以来最严重的金融危机，我想所有美国人都知道那一段历史。”

At the same time, Sinai predicts that with congressional action on financial system reforms, in his words, things will look a lot better by next year.

Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee discussed what Democrats are calling their "recovery initiative".

来自麻萨诸塞州的民主党国会议员弗兰克是众议院金融服务委员会的主席，他讨论了民主党人所称的“经济复兴计划”。

"So what we will be doing next year is to adopt the kind of sensible regulation of credit default swaps and collateralized debt obligation derivatives and those other instruments, which have been un-regulated by conscious choice for the past years, and put rules on them so they do not get out of hand," said Barney Frank.

“明年我们要做的事情是，通过一些明智的规定，处理信贷违约和债务抵押债券所产生的衍生物，处理同类其他问题。对这些事情的监督管理在过去一些年被取消，要重新作出新的规定，不能让它们失去控制。”

In a letter to House Speaker Pelosi on Monday, House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner asserted that nothing known so far about Democrat's plans will bring long-term stability to the U.S. economy.

国会众议院少数党共和党领袖约翰.博纳在写给众议院议长佩洛西的信中强调，到目前为止没有什么可以证明民主党的计划可以为美国经济带来长期的稳定。

While agreeing on the need for additional steps to get the economy back on track, Boehner repeated Republican calls for capital gains and corporate tax cuts, adoption of Republican energy proposals, and other measures.

Speaker Pelosi told reporters that Democrats are closely coordinating their economic steps with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

佩洛西对媒体表示，民主党议员在经济步骤上和本党总统候选人奥巴马紧密协调。

In campaign stops on Monday, Obama laid out in more detail steps he would take to help the economy, including a two year tax break for businesses that create new jobs and a 90 day moratorium on home foreclosures.

星期一，奥巴马在竞选途中更详细地阐述了他将如何推动经济的计划，包括为那些创造新的工作机会的企业免税两年，并且给买房人90天的宽限期，在他们不能偿还买房贷款的时候，债主要等90天才能没收房屋。

His Republican opponent, John McCain, told supporters he would do more to help the economy, focusing on steps to halt declines in home values, protect retirement funds and freeze government spending.

他的对手，共和党总统候选人麦凯恩对支持者说，他将做得更多，来推动经济。其焦点集中在制止房价下跌，保护退休基金，冻结政府的开支。