From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.A small business in Hatfield Pennsylvania will be the backdrop of President Obama's latest appeal to middle class America to back his plan to avert the fiscal cliff.Mr. Obama says the Bush-era tax cuts for the Wealthiest Americans should be allowed to expire at the year's end, but those making 250'000 or less should continue to be protected.That's been a major sticking point between the White House and leading Republican law makers.The man who got Republicans to sign the no-new-tax pledge is refuting claims that some members of the GOP may be breaking ranks.Grover Norquist, head of the group Americans for tax reform tells NPR that some, such as Senator Linsey G, may say they are open to revenue increases, but in the end, he says, it won't happen.He imagines that the Democrats will agree of fundamental reform of entitlements, something they haven't done, I don't know, 60 years, but we imagine that they're going to, we imagine a pink unicorn.On the senate floor, democratic leader Harry Reed said he was pleased to see a few Republicans distancing themselves from Norquist accusing the anti-tax activists of bullying law makers for years.The Conference Board says consumer confidence in the US is at its highest level in nearly 5 years. Details from NPR's Dave Maddingley.Although the nation's unemployment rate is still near 8%, the economist Hugh Johnson says the slow steady gains in hiring are helping consumers feel better about their own situation.
这里是华盛顿的NPR新闻,我是拉什米・辛格。宾夕法尼亚州哈特菲尔德的一个小企业将是奥巴马总统最新吸引美国中产阶级支持他计划以避免财政悬崖的背景。奥巴马称布什时代对于美国富人的减税政策在年底就会到期,但那些年收入250 000美元或更少的人应该继续受到保护。而主要的症结就出在白宫和共和党的主要法律制定者们身上。要求共和党人签署无新税收承诺的人反驳共和党的一些成员可能会打破等级限制。税改组织负责人格罗弗・诺奎斯特向NPR新闻透露了一些消息 ,比如参议员林思丽称他们也许对增加税收敞开大门,但是最后,他表示这不会发生。他认为民主党人会同意基本的改革津贴,这是他们还没有做到的事情,我不清楚,也许是60年,但我们想象他们正准备去做,我们想象的是一头粉红独角兽。在参议院,民主党领袖哈里・里德称自己很高兴看到几位共和党人疏远指责反税收活动家们多年来欺压法律制定者们的奎斯特。会议委员会表示美国的消费者的信心正处于近5年来的最高水平。NPR新闻的戴夫・马汀利有相关详细报道。尽管这个国家的失业率仍接近8%,但经济学家休・约翰逊表示就业上的缓慢稳定的进步正在帮助消费者们更好的感受自己的情况。
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