奥巴马每周电视讲话：解决波多黎各的经济危机

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week's address, President Obama discussed the crippling economic crisis harming 3.5 million Americans in Puerto Rico. Today, the island is spending over a third of its tax revenue on debt payments – and on July 1, Puerto Rico is facing another $2 billion in debt payments that it cannot make. The President said the only way for Puerto Rico to overcome this crisis is by restructuring its debt and finding a sustainable path toward growth and opportunity for its people. But this requires help from Congress in order to give Puerto Rico the tools it needs to restructure its debt. The President commended the House of Representatives, which overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill to address the crisis, and called on the Senate to quickly follow suit.

Remarks of President Barack Obama as Delivered

Weekly Address

The White House

June 11, 2016

Hi, everybody.  Today, I want to talk with you about the crisis in Puerto Rico – and why it matters to all of us.  

Puerto Ricans are American citizens, just like folks in Maine or Oklahoma or New Mexico.  And over the last decade, Puerto Rico has suffered through a deep and painful recession – but unlike the rest of the United States, it hasn’t recovered. 

Today, the island continues to face a crippling economic crisis.  Schools are closing.  Power is being cut off at homes and hospitals.  Teachers have to choose between turning on the lights or turning on the computers.  Doctors can’t get medicine to treat newborns unless they pay in cash.  And as the Zika virus threatens both the island and the mainland, workers dealing¹ with mosquito control to help protect women and their unborn babies are at risk of being laid off. 

Right now, Puerto Rico is spending about a third of its tax revenue on debt payments – far more than anywhere else in America.  And on July 1, the island faces another $2 billion in debt payments that it cannot pay. 

There is only one way for Puerto Rico to pull itself out of this crisis – and that’s by restructuring its debt and finding a sustainable fiscal² path toward growth and opportunity for its people.  But here’s the problem.  Right now, Puerto Rico doesn’t have the tools it needs to restructure its debt – tools available elsewhere in America. 

And only Congress can fix the problem, and put Puerto Rico on a path to recovery.

Thankfully, this week, the House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill to address the crisis, and I now urge the Senate to move quickly to follow suit.  This bill won’t cost federal taxpayers³ a dime⁴.  It doesn’t include special-interest bailouts.  And it gives Puerto Rico the ability to restructure its debt, safeguard essential services, and provide important protections to public pensions that more than 300,000 folks rely on to retire with dignity. 

This bill also includes something else – a temporary system of oversight⁵ to help implement⁶ needed reforms and ensure transparency.  I know that some folks in Puerto Rico are worried about this kind of oversight.  But I’ve always insisted that any solution to this crisis has to respect the democratic rights of the people of Puerto Rico.  And I am committed to making sure that Puerto Ricans are well-represented in this process, so that we can be sure we’re taking steps that are in the island’s best interests.

This bill is not a perfect solution – nobody’s saying it is.  That’s what happens in divided government.  But it’s the only option on the table to save Puerto Rico from spiraling out of control.  And that’s exactly what would happen if Congress fails to do its job. 

There’s no question this is a trying time for folks in Puerto Rico.  They’ve seen too many jobs lost and too many neighbors leave in search of better opportunity elsewhere.  It’s clear that it’s time for Puerto Rico to chart a new course and make a fresh start.  This bill is just a first step. 

We all have more work to do to make sure that the people of Puerto Rico receive the health care they deserve and the good jobs and economic opportunities they need to build a better future for their kids.  And I want the people of Puerto Rico to know that my administration is committed to your success.  Because you’re vital to America’s success.

That’s what this is all about.  We don’t turn our backs on our fellow Americans.  We don’t treat folks differently because of where they live.  Instead, we treat each other as Americans.  We come together, especially when it’s hard.  That’s how we’ve always set ourselves on a course toward a brighter day. 

Thanks everybody, and have a great weekend. 

1 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。

2 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。

3 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

4 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。

5 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。