美國衆議院將表決削減赤字提案

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives votes Tuesday on legislation that would cut billions of dollars from the federal budget in exchange for raising the country's borrowing limit and avoiding a first-ever default. The so-called Cut, Cap and Balance Act, supported by the Republican Party's Tea Party faction and other fiscally conservative groups, would also impose strict limits on future government spending, and require both the House and Senate to approve a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, outlawing the government from spending more money than it takes in.

The bill has little chance of being approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate, and the White House says President Barack Obama would veto it. The administration says the bill would severely harm the government's ability to help middle-class Americans and the while, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid continues to hold talks with Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on McConnell's proposal to give the president sole authority to raise the debt limit by $2.5 trillion in three installments over the next year.美國共和黨控制的國會衆議院星期二就一項預算立法進行投票。這項提案要求削減數萬億美元的聯邦開支，以換取提高國家的債務上限，從而使美國避免第一次出現債務違約。這項所謂的“削減、最高限度和平衡法案”得到共和黨內的“茶黨”和其他財政保守團體的支持。提案還限制政府的未來開支，並要求國會參衆兩院批准就預算平衡修正憲法，將政府入不敷出定爲非法。

這個提案几乎不可能在民主黨控制的參議院獲得通過。白宮也表示，奧巴馬總統將否決這項提案。白宮說，這一提案將嚴重損害政府幫助美國中產階級和老年人的能力。與此同時，參議院多數黨民主黨領袖裏德繼續與參議院少數黨共和黨領袖麥康奈爾就後者的一項提議舉行會談。麥康奈爾提議，授予總統獨有的權力，明年分三次將債務上限提高2.5萬億美元。