Obama Signals Big Stimulus Plan
President-elect Barack Obama suggested he would package much of his campaign spending proposals as economic stimulus and try to push them quickly through Congress to combat a deepening downturn.
'Not only do I want the stimulus package to deal with the immediate crisis, I want it also to lay the groundwork for long-term sustained economic growth,' Mr. Obama said Monday at a press conference in Chicago to introduce his economic team. 'With our economy in distress, we cannot hesitate and we cannot delay.'
While stimulus plans are usually considered targeted, and temporary, relief, the Obama team is looking at much deeper and longer-term spending, reflecting the view that downward pressure on the economy could last for several years. He ticked off a list of priorities that included: creating 2.5 million jobs, and spending on roads, bridges, schools and clean-energy programs. Jason Furman, the Obama campaign's economic policy director, briefed Democratic leaders and conservative 'Blue Dog Democrats' last week on the shape of the proposed stimulus, according to senior House aides
The plans brought a quick retort from House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio. He said lawmakers 'should start listening to the American people, who do not believe increasing government spending is the best way to put our economy back on track.' He proposed eliminating the capital gains tax, which is currently 15%, as well as other tax cuts.
Other Republicans said some large-scale economic intervention is inevitable. 'We clearly need a stimulus initiative, and it's clearly got to be a big one,' said Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee and a budget hawk. 'The question is, 'Is it just going to be walking-around money for the usual liberal constituencies that does nothing?''
It's not clear whether big tax cuts or big spending will restore the economy. Tax rebates earlier this year triggered only a short burst of spending. And large government spending programs in Japan in the 1990s did little to revive growth.
Regarding taxes, Mr. Obama suggested he might not push quickly to implement one big campaign promise -- tax hikes for the highest earning Americans. Although he said that high-end taxes need to be raised to help pay for his proposed public spending, he added that his economic team was evaluating whether to push quickly for tax hikes, or whether to allow rates to rise on their own after President Bush's tax policies expire at the close of 2010.
美国当选总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)称，他将把竞选时提出的众多支出方案综合为经济刺激计划，并推动该计划迅速在国会获得通过，以应对经济减速。
周一，奥巴马在芝加哥向记者介绍了他的经济团队时说，我不但希望刺激方案能够应对目前的危机，我也希望它能为长期持续的经济增长奠定基础。由于我们的经济已陷入困境，我们不能犹豫，也不能拖延。
European Pressphoto Agency
奥巴马介绍他的经济团队尽管刺激计划通常被认为是有针对性的，暂时的救助，但奥巴马团队却考虑到了更深入、更长期的支出，反映出对经济面临的下行压力可能会持续数年时间的看法。他列出的工作重点包括：创造250万份工作，加大对道路、桥梁、学校和清洁能源项目的支出。据众议院资深人士称，奥巴马竞选时的经济政策主管福曼(Jason Furman)上周向民主党领导人和保守的“蓝狗派”民主党人通报了拟定的刺激方案的情况。
众议院民主党领导人贝纳(John Boehner)迅速对这些计划进行了反驳。他说，议员应开始倾听美国人民的声音，他们并不相信增加政府支出是推动美国经济重回正常轨道的最佳途径。他提议取消目前为15%的资本增值税，并进行其它减税。
其它共和党人称，某种大规模的经济干预是不可避免的。参议院预算委员会对预算持强硬态度的民主党高级人士格雷格(Judd Gregg)说，我们显然需要刺激计划，而且显然是大规模的计划。问题是，这是否会成为无所事事又常常大手大脚的部门的日常开销。
还不清楚大规模减税和大规模增加支出是否会让经济复苏。今年早些时候的退税只引发了短时间的支出热潮。上世纪90年代时日本大规模的政府支出计划也对推动增长于事无补。
至于税收，奥巴马表示他可能不会迅速实施竞选时的一大承诺：增加美国最高收入人群的税率。尽管他说需要提高高收入群体的税率，以帮助提供拟定中的公共开支资金，但他也称他的经济团队正在评估是马上就提高税率，还是等待布什总统的税收政策2010年底到期后让税率自动上去。
