VOA标准英语2009年-White House Denies Tax Hike Plan for Middl

The White House vigorously denied on Monday any plans to raise taxes on middle-income Americans to pay for health care reform or combat the massive federal budget deficit¹. The denials come one day after two top members of President Barack Obama's economic team declined to rule out tax hikes.
　
Dem. presidential candidate Barack Obama in N.H., promising² no tax hike for middle class families (2008 file photo)

Shielding the middle class from higher taxes was one of then-candidate Obama's most-repeated refrains last year:

"Let me be absolutely clear: If you are a family making less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes go up," he said.

But in separate appearances on U.S. television on Sunday, Treasury³ Secretary Timothy Geithner and top Obama economic advisor⁴ Larry Summers refused to rule out future tax increases -- including some that might target the middle class. Summers said,"It is never a good idea to absolutely rule things out."

A day later, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs spent more than half of a 45-minute press briefing denying any change in the administration's thinking on taxes.

"Let me be precise: The president's clear commitment is not to raise taxes on those making less than $250,000 a year," he said.
　
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs during the daily briefing at the White House 03 Aug 2009

Again and again, Gibbs was asked whether a "clear commitment" constitutes an absolute presidential pledge not to raise taxes on middle-income earners.

"The president made a commitment during the campaign. He is clear about that commitment. He is going to keep it. I do not know how much more clear about the commitment I can be," said Gibbs.

Throughout last year's presidential race, Republicans maintained that Barack Obama's ambitious agenda to restructure America's economy would require massive tax increases or incur⁵ unsustainable debt that would bankrupt the nation. Months after enacting⁶ an $800 billion stimulus⁷ package, Congress is now struggling to craft a health care reform bill that will not add to America's record federal budget deficit of more than $ 1 trillion.

Press Secretary Gibbs said President Obama's first goal is to see the U.S. economy emerge from the deepest and longest recession of the post-World War II era. He reminded reporters that the Obama record to date is one of tax cuts.

"Within the very first month of the president talking office, 95 percent of Americans received a tax cut. That is everybody in the middle class," he said.

Recent public opinion polls show a dip in President Obama's approval ratings, attributed to concerns about health care reform and the slow pace of economic recovery. But last week brought a flourish of upbeat economic news in housing, employment and economic growth.

The trend continued Monday, with an index showing the smallest contraction⁸ in U.S. manufacturing in 18 months. Based on July's performance, some economists⁹ say the August reading could show a modest expansion of America's battered¹⁰ manufacturing sector¹¹.

Troubled U.S. automaker Ford¹² reported its first sales increase in nearly two years last month. The sales boost came at the start of a U.S. government-funded billion dollar program that subsidizes the trade-in of old, fuel-guzzling vehicles for newer, more efficient ones.

An estimated quarter-of-a-million Americans have used the program to buy new cars. The Obama administration is urging Congress to approve an additional $2 billion to keep the program running for an additional month.

1 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。

2 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 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。

4 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

5 incur   

vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇

参考例句：

• Any costs that you incur will be reimbursed in full.你的所有花费都将全额付还。
• An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.一个企业为了维持营业,就不得不承担一定的费用和开支。

6 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

7 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

8 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

9 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》

10 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

11 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

12 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。