策劃、編譯■李威撰、謝雯伃

美國政府債台高築，共和與民主兩黨有共識要打消赤字，

但無論是民眾、行政部門或主要政黨，各方對解決問題的方法存有嚴重紛歧。

雖然國會已於2日通過協議案，暫時緩和債務危機，但問題終究未獲解決，

未來在支出刪減項目及稅賦如何改革等問題上，仍有許多爭議有待處理。

■美國華盛頓的國會山莊，圖攝於1日。（圖文／路透）

美國總統歐巴馬7月31日宣布，共和黨與民主黨的領袖們盡最後的努力，達成提高美國借款上限的協議，以免發生災難性的違約。歐巴馬要求議員們「做對的事情」並批准這項協議。

President Barack Obama announced on Sunday that Republican and Democratic leaders had agreed on a last-ditch deal to raise the U.S. borrowing limit and avoid a catastrophic default （1）, and he urged lawmakers to "do the right thing" and approve the agreement.

協議允許總統歐巴馬提分3階段來提高債務上限，國會在其中兩階段有表示反對的機會，除非國會在參眾兩院都能得到2／3的票數支持，否則不能阻擋法案，但這一情況不大可能發生。

The deal would allow President Barack Obama to raise the debt ceiling in three steps. Congress would get a chance to register its disapproval on two of these, but would not be able to block them unless it musters a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate -- an unlikely prospect.

協議提出未來10年內削減約2.4兆的開支，國會則分成2階段同意：第1階段是國會通過兩黨協議後的9,170億，以及年底的1.5兆。

It envisions spending cuts of roughly $2.4 trillion over 10 years, which Congress would approve in two steps -- an initial $917 billion when the deal passes Congress and another $1.5 trillion by the end of the year.

首波刪減開支瞄準的對象是美國每年通過的權衡性支出計畫，包括軍事及食品檢驗等各種事務。

The first group of spending cuts would apply to the discretionary （2）programs that Congress approves annually, covering everything from the military to food inspection.

未來10年內，這些計畫將設定支出額度，一開始的限制會相對緩和，避免勒死美國目前搖搖欲墜的經濟（在10月1日開啟新的財政年度後，刪減規模僅從目前的1兆490億下削60億）。在往後幾年，上限會帶來較大的衝擊，屆時希望經濟已經復甦。

Those programs would be capped （3）each year for 10 years. The caps would be relatively modest at first to avoid stifling the shaky economy -- spending for the fiscal year （4）that begins October 1 would be only $6 billion below the current level of $1.049 trillion. The caps would have a greater impact in later years, when it is hoped that the economy will have recovered.

刪減的9,170億美元中，約有3,500億來自國防及其他安全計畫，在所有裁量性支出中，這部分就占了半數以上。共和黨反對這項提議，是少數幾個仍有爭論的問題之一。

Some $350 billion of the $917 billion total would come from defense and other security programs which now account for more than half of all discretionary spending. Republicans are resisting this idea and it is one of the few areas of dispute left.

如果未來幾年沒遵守支出限制，全面性的支出刪減就會自動生效。

Automatic across-the-board （5）spending cuts would kick in if Congress does not observe the caps in coming years.

另外將成立國會委員會，該委員會的12名成員有6名來自共和黨，6名來自民主黨。這個委員會將負責另外尋找1.5兆的預算刪減項目。

A 12-member congressional committee, made up equally of Republicans and Democrats from each chamber, would be tasked with finding a further $1.5 trillion in budget savings.

這一委員會可透過修改稅法的方式來達到刪減開支的目的，或藉由重新調整像是聯邦醫療保險等福利計畫來完成。然而到目前為止，議員對這些具有高政治風險的決議仍無共識。

That committee could find savings from an overhaul of the tax code and restructuring benefit programs like Medicare -- the politically risky decisions that lawmakers have not been able to agree on so far.

委員會必須在11月23日完成上述任務，而國會要在12月23日以前針對委員會的建議案逕行表決，不能加以修正。

The committee would have to complete its work by November 23. Congress would have an up-or-down vote, with no modifications, on the committee's recommendations by December 23.

在撙節資金的項目上，如果委員會無法至少取得1.2兆的共識，或是國會否決了委員會的提議，則1.2兆的支出刪減將在2013年自動生效。

If the committee cannot agree on at least $1.2 trillion in savings, or Congress rejects its findings, automatic spending cuts totaling that amount would kick in starting in 2013.

31日提出的協議也要求參眾兩院在年底前，針對平衡預算的憲法修正案進行表決。修正案要通過，就必須在參眾兩院都獲得2／3的贊成票，但這在任何一院都不大可能。

The plan also calls for both the House and the Senate to vote on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution by the end of the year. It is not likely to receive the two-thirds vote in each chamber needed for passage.

（路透Reuters）

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