VOA慢速英语--拜登公布2万亿美元的基础设施计划

American President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday a $2 trillion spending plan that is, in his words, "a once-in-a-generation investment in America."

Biden said it is "the largest American jobs investment since World War II." He added it will create millions of jobs, grow the economy and help the country compete against China.

The plan is the first of Biden's two proposals called the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan. He promised to release the second plan in a few weeks.

The Biden administration said in a statement that the American Jobs Plan provides money to improve the country's roads and bridges and to build charging stations for electric vehicles. Other projects include housing for the poor, expansion of high-speed internet service, and money for research and manufacturing.

The administration said the plan would be paid for by raising the U.S. corporate¹ tax rate from 21 to 28 percent, establishing a minimum tax rate on corporate earnings², and ending tax breaks for fossil fuel companies and others.

What's in the $2 trillion spending plan?

The Biden administration said the largest amount of money, $621 billion, would go to transportation projects. These include fixing 32,000 kilometers of highways, repairing 10,000 bridges and building 500,000 charging stations. The plan is designed to push the nation's automobile³ industry to build more electric vehicles.

The plan includes $400 billion to expand home-based care for older people and the disabled. One of the largest investments includes $213 billion to help build housing for the poor. Another $111 billion will go to new water and sewage system for homes. High-speed internet, clean energy for electrical systems and public schools will each receive a $100 billion investment.

The plan will also invest more than $500 billion to help manufacturing in the country, retrain workers and support research and development.

Biden announced the plan in an appearance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the same city in which he launched his presidential campaign.

The city once famous for its steel factories was central to the rise of American industrial power. As steel manufacturing disappeared over time, Pittsburgh re-invented itself as a center of health care, technology and academic research.

What's next for the plan?

The new spending proposal came just 20 days after Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion spending plan to help Americans affected⁴ by the coronavirus health crisis. Lawmakers in the president's Democratic Party have expressed support for the plan. Republican Party lawmakers have criticized it.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the plan is "about making an investment in America — not just modernizing⁵ our roads or railways or bridges but building an infrastructure⁶ of the future."

Mitch McConnell, the leader of Senate Republicans, said he is "not likely" to support the spending proposal. He said the plan will result in "more borrowed money, and massive tax increases on all the productive parts of our economy."

McConnell told reporters that Biden spoke⁷ to him about the spending plan in a call on Tuesday.

The Business Roundtable is an organization of American business leaders. It supports what it calls "user pay" models for infrastructure building. And the U.S. Chamber⁸ of Commerce, a business interest group, called Biden's plan "dangerously misguided" in how it expects to pay for infrastructure improvement.

At the same time, some members of Biden's own Democratic party think the infrastructure spending plan should be bigger.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called the plan "not nearly enough" in a Twitter post. She noted⁹ that it calls for spending $2.25 trillion over 10 years as compared to the coronavirus spending plan of $1.9 trillion for this year alone.

The plan, Ocasio-Cortez added, "Needs to be way bigger."

Words in This Story

infrastructure - n. basic equipment and structures such as roads and bridges

fossil fuel - n. fuel such as gas or coal

academic - adj. relating to schools and education

1 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。

2 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

3 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 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。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。