03-14-08

美參議院通過三萬億美元預算計劃 (US Senate Passes $3 Trillion Budget Plan)

美國參議院通過了一項三萬億美元財政預算計劃。民主黨控制的參議院星期五早些時候以51票對44票通過了這項議案。參議員基本依照所屬黨派的立場投了自己的票。財政預算作為一份藍圖，指導國會為今年10月開始的2009財政年度通過各項開支法案。參議院通過的決議必須與眾議院通過的相關預演算法案相協調。

在參議院法案中，參議員拒絕了對議員專項撥款實行一年禁令的條款。議員專項撥款指為某些議員所青睞的項目做出的特別撥款。預計將獲得共和黨總統候選人提名的麥凱恩參議員呼籲禁止議員專項撥款。參議院還批准延續布希總統減稅計劃的某些內容，包括為貧困的工薪階層減稅，但不為較富裕的美國人減稅。

The U.S. Senate has approved a three-trillion dollar budget plan. The Democratic-controlled Senate approved the measure early Friday by a vote of 51-44, mostly along party lines. The budget blueprint will guide Congress as it passes spending bills for the 2009 fiscal year, which begins in October. The Senate resolution must be reconciled with a similar budget plan approved by the House of Representatives.

In the Senate plan, lawmakers rejected a one year ban on earmarks -- spending allocations for projects favored by specific members of Congress. Presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain had called for the ban on earmarks. 
The Senate also approved the continuation of some of President Bush's tax cuts, including one for the working poor, but not for wealthier Americans.

歐盟領導人支援遏止氣候變化目標 (EU Leaders Back Goals for Fighting Climate Change)

歐洲聯盟各國領導人支援制止氣候變化的雄心勃勃目標。但是他們強調，在當前經濟逆轉的情況下，實現這些目標的費用必須能承受得起。在布魯塞爾舉行的兩天高峰會議之後發表的聲明中，各國首腦承諾將在明年最終議定2020年減少20%溫室效應氣體排放的戰略。但是他們強調，實現目標的費用不能給歐洲聯盟國家帶來過高的代價。

歐盟領導人星期四接受了法國總統薩爾科奇建議的修改方案，同意成立一個包括北美和中東國家在內的“地中海貿易集團”。這位法國總統接受了為緩解德國擔憂而作出改變後，從而贏得了各國領導人的支援。德國曾擔心關於這項建議可能不利於歐盟團結。歐盟各國領導人讓歐盟官員7月前擬定出計劃的進一步細節。

European Union leaders have backed ambitious goals to fight climate change but stressed that they must be affordable at a time of economic downturn. In a statement issued at the conclusion of a two-day summit in Brussels, the leaders pledged to finalize by next year their strategy for a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020. But they stressed that the cost of the project should not impose excessive costs on EU member states.

Thursday, the leaders accepted a modified version of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's proposal for a new Mediterranean trading bloc that would include North African and Middle Eastern countries. The French leader won the support of his EU colleagues after accepting changes that eased Germany's concerns that the proposal would undermine EU unity. The leaders instructed EU officials to work out further details by July.