美国国家公共电台 NPR A Revenue 'Trigger' Would Shoot Down Tax Cuts If Economy Doesn't Grow As Expected

A Revenue 'Trigger' Would Shoot Down Tax Cuts If Economy Doesn't Grow As Expected

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

Republicans are struggling with a way to cut taxes without increasing the federal budget deficit¹, and one idea under consideration would be a budget trigger. However, it's already generating lots of opposition². NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

JIM ZARROLI, BYLINE³: Supporters of the tax overhaul⁴ are promising⁵ that the cuts under consideration would send growth rates soaring; incomes would increase, and lots of extra tax revenue would pour into the Treasury⁶. So they say the budget deficit shouldn't get any larger. But just in case it does, they have a solution. On Fox News yesterday, Tennessee Senator Bob Corker said the idea would be...

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BOB CORKER: To try to create a backstop or a trigger mechanism⁷ that, to the extent the growth estimates that have been laid out aren't achieved, we don't pass on even greater debt to our children.

ZARROLI: Corker didn't provide details, but the idea is this. If growth is less than expected and tax revenues fall short, Congress would undo⁸ the tax cuts. It would raise corporate⁹ taxes by as much as $350 billion according to Bloomberg News. Larry Summers calls the idea absurd.

LARRY SUMMERS: This kind of gimmick¹⁰ is the reason why Congress has single-digit popularity ratings.

ZARROLI: Summers says the imposition of a trigger means that Congress would have to raise taxes at a time when the economy is underperforming, maybe even in a recession. And that's exactly the wrong time to do it.

SUMMERS: You'll deliver the economy a body blow, reducing consumption and reducing investment just at the moment you most need to be encouraging.

ZARROLI: Summers also believes Congress would never really allow a tax increase to go through in the midst of a recession. The political pressure to override¹¹ the trigger would be too great. The idea is also unpopular on the right. Business and conservative groups lined up against the proposal today, including the U.S. Chamber¹² of Commerce and the Koch brothers-funded Americans for Prosperity. Romina Boccia of The Heritage Foundation says businesses need certainty. The prospect¹³ that a tax increase might kick in if growth slows would make a lot of them more cautious about the future.

ROMINA BOCCIA: Including a potential tax increase through a trigger or by any other means creates uncertainty¹⁴, which will lower the overall economic growth we can expect to see from the tax plan.

ZARROLI: Whether the trigger will actually make it into the final tax bill is unclear. Several Republican senators are already expressing doubts about the idea. And Louisiana Senator John Kennedy was quoted as saying he would rather drink weed killer¹⁵ than support a trigger. But Republicans are searching for a way to cut taxes without increasing the deficit, and this is one way they hope to accomplish that. Jim Zarroli, NPR News, New York.

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 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

5 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。

6 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。

7 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

8 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

9 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

10 gimmick   

n.(为引人注意而搞的)小革新，小发明

参考例句：

• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。
• It is just a public relations gimmick.这只不过是一种公关伎俩。

11 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

12 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

13 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

14 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

15 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。