美國國會通過稅改 特朗普獲重大立法勝利

President Donald Trump secured the biggest win of his presidency yesterday as Republicans passed the most sweeping tax overhaul since the 1980s, a move that stirred fierce partisan disagreement that is set to dominate electoral battles next year.

唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)總統(tǒng)昨日贏得其總統(tǒng)任期內(nèi)的最大勝利，共和黨人推動通過了自20世紀80年代以來最徹底的稅收改革，此舉激起的兩黨尖銳分歧，勢必將主導(dǎo)明年的選戰(zhàn)。

Mr Trump was a pen stroke away from fulfilling one of his central campaign pledges by signing a $1.5tn tax cut into law, after the House of Representatives passed the legislation hours after the Senate approved it in a post-midnight vote.

參議院在午夜過后的投票中通過稅改法案，數(shù)小時后眾議院也通過這一法案，這意味著特朗普只要簽下自己的姓名，就能讓1.5萬億美元減稅措施成為法律，兌現(xiàn)他的核心競選承諾之一。

The vote gives the president a longed-for legislative victory to carry into his second year, one whose scope matches the reforms of healthcare and Wall Street regulation achieved by his predecessor, Barack Obama.

國會投票結(jié)果使美國總統(tǒng)在進入第二年任期之際獲得一個渴望的立法勝利。這個勝利在范圍上堪比前任巴拉克•奧巴馬(Barack Obama)推動通過的醫(yī)保改革和金融監(jiān)管。

But the tax bill is already as divisive as Mr Obama’s achievements, ensuring 2018 will be dominated by electoral sparring over whether it is helping middle-class families, as Republicans claim, or delivering riches to the wealthy and powerful, as Democrats say.

但是，稅改法案已經(jīng)像奧巴馬的成就那樣導(dǎo)致意見分歧，使2018年注定受到激烈選戰(zhàn)的支配，關(guān)鍵問題是稅改將會幫助中產(chǎn)階級家庭(就像共和黨人宣稱的那樣)，還是會讓富人和權(quán)貴階層更富(就像民主黨人所說的那樣)。

Mr Trump said at a “celebration” cabinet meeting that people would begin seeing the results of the tax bill in February when adjustments to their after-tax income started appearing in pay checks. “We got it done,” he said, thanking congressional leaders.

特朗普在一個內(nèi)閣“慶祝會”上表示，美國人民將從2月份起看到稅改法案的結(jié)果，屆時他們的稅后收入調(diào)整將開始體現(xiàn)在工資單上。“我們做成了這件事，”他表示。他對國會領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人表示了感謝。

Republicans say their package, the most substantial since Ronald Reagan’s reforms of 1986, is vital to energising the economy and crucial to their chances of keeping control of Congress in midterm elections next November.

共和黨人表示，他們的方案是自1986年羅納德•里根(Ronald Reagan)出臺改革以來最重大的稅改，此輪稅改對于重振經(jīng)濟，對于在明年11月的中期選舉中保住該黨對國會的控制至關(guān)重要。

The centrepiece is a big cut for corporations, which will see their headline income tax rate plunge from 35 per cent to 21 per cent, bringing the US into line with the developed-world average.

稅改的核心內(nèi)容是大幅降低企業(yè)稅，其標準所得稅率將從35%降至21%，使美國與發(fā)達國家的平均水平相符。

For individuals, analysts say, long-term gains will be skewed towards the richest Americans, with the middle class — which Mr Trump insists is his priority — seeing much less benefit.

分析人士認為，對于個人，長期收益將會向最富有的美國人傾斜，而中產(chǎn)階級(特朗普堅稱這個人群是他的重點)看得到的好處將會小得多。

The president tweeted that the “fake news” media was demeaning the bill. 美國總統(tǒng)在Twitter上表示，“假新聞”媒體在貶低該法案。

Investors sold US Treasuries yesterday, continuing a sell-off as hawkish central bank comments in Europe, healthy economic data and the US tax cuts forced investors to reappraise whether interest rates — and bond yields — would continue to remain subdued in 2018.

投資者昨日紛紛賣出美國國債，從而延續(xù)一輪拋售。歐洲央行官員發(fā)表的鷹派言論、健康的經(jīng)濟數(shù)據(jù)以及美國的減稅措施，都迫使投資者重新評估2018年期間利率——以及債券收益率——會不會繼續(xù)保持低位。

Equities, which have rallied amid expectations of a corporate earnings boost, were little changed in morning trading.

此前被企業(yè)盈利提振預(yù)期推高的股市，早盤變動不大。

The bill passed the House by 224 to 201 and the Senate by 51 to 48. It did not receive a single vote from Democrats.

稅改法案在眾議院以224票對201票通過，在參議院以51票對48票通過。它沒有得到民主黨人的任何支持票。

Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House, said families making the median household income would receive a $2,059 tax cut next year.

共和黨的眾議院議長保羅•瑞安(Paul Ryan)表示，中位數(shù)收入的家庭明年將獲得2059美元的減稅。

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said: “If we can’t sell this to the American people, we ought to go into another line of work.”

參議院多數(shù)黨領(lǐng)袖米奇•麥康奈爾(Mitch McConnell)表示：“如果我們不能說服美國人民歡迎這個方案，我們應(yīng)該改行。”