美国国家公共电台 NPR--Biden says solid economic growth data proves his recovery plan is working

Biden says solid economic growth data proves his recovery plan is working

Transcript¹

NPR's A Martinez talks to Bill Hoagland of the Bipartisan Policy Center about how President Biden has handled the economy, and what to expect in 2023.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

President Biden says a solid economic growth rate, 2.9% in the fourth quarter, proves that his recovery plan is working.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Look, we're moving in the right direction. Now we've got to protect those gains. We've got to protect those gains that our policies have generated. Protect them from the MAGA Republicans in the House of Representatives.

MART?NEZ: Radha Muthiah is president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank in D.C. And she says she sees another economic reality.

RADHA MUTHIAH: While some parts of the economy are on the upswing, many individuals are still recovering from the pandemic. And many of our neighbors are still struggling.

MART?NEZ: We're joined now by Bill Hoagland. He's a senior vice² president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, which analyzes³ fiscal⁴ health and economic policy. Bill, the White House - how much control over the economy does the White House really have?

BILL HOAGLAND: The White House has a great deal of control over the economy. But also, the Federal Reserve does, too. And from my perspective, I think the Federal Reserve is probably the most important factor right now in terms of its interest rate increases that is bringing down the rate of inflation. But the administration can and has offered up various proposals over the last few years. Some have been adopted. But it truly is a bipartisan effort here between the Federal Reserve and the executive branch and the legislative⁵ branch.

MART?NEZ: How much influence does the White House have over the Federal Reserve, if any?

HOAGLAND: Supposedly nothing. And that's supposed to be an independent, of course, operation.

MART?NEZ: So what's your assessment⁶, then, been of how President Biden has handled the economy so far?

HOAGLAND: Well, if I was giving him a grade, I'd give him a grade of maybe a B- or a C+. And that's still a passing grade. I think the president has done what he can do. During the pandemic, he did what was necessary in terms of providing additional assistance out there for the American public that was suffering from that. He did release from the - money that - fuel necessary to lower the rate of inflation in gasoline. He has done some things that I think are very positive in that regard. But he has also was - initiated⁷ a very large spending package that I think had some impact on inflation out there. Some economists⁸ believe that it added someplace in the neighborhood of about 2% to the - two percentage points to the inflation rate.

So the good news is that inflation is coming down. He's not completely responsible for that. The war in Ukraine, avian flu and chicken prices, as well as poultry⁹ and egg prices up - nothing that he is directly responsible for. But I think it's a combination of both the administration and the legislative branch working together. And I hope we could reduce the political squabbling as we move forward because they have a serious issue here dealing¹⁰ with the statutory debt limit...

MART?NEZ: Right.

HOAGLAND: ...That has to be raised sometime later this year.

MART?NEZ: How much does his spending package, for you, at least, on your report card bump him down to that B- or C+?

HOAGLAND: I would give him about half of it, I guess, is the best way I could phrase it. It's not - we haven't quantified it exactly. But I do think that the initial package, the recovery plan that came through early in his administration, was probably, most economists would argue, was more than was necessary to at that particular time and probably added to some of the inflationary aspects - as I say, two percentage points or so - in terms of the impact there. But yes, it is a response that was taken. Maybe it was overstated. But I do think it's a combination of all this. Moving forward, they'll have to really focus now on not the past, but moving forward. We do not want to have a debt limit increase - has to be done later this year. And I hope they get to it pretty soon and not wait much longer.

MART?NEZ: In the last 30 seconds, Bill, I mean, how much is that - or possibly, could that affect the economy, the national debt ceiling going up?

HOAGLAND: Well, I think that's a good question because I do think that the squabbling as it relates to raising the statutory debt limit, pushing it up against the brink¹¹, it could be very damaging to the economy going forward.

MART?NEZ: That's Bill Hoagland of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Bill, thank you.

HOAGLAND: Thank you.

1 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。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

4 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

7 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

8 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》

9 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。