The Senate Banking Committee has voted to approve the nomination of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for a second term as head of the U.S. central bank. The move paves the way for a vote by the full Senate in January. But the committee approval came after two hours of contentious debate, and the committee's ranking Republican was among those voting against Bernanke.
参议院银行委员会投票批准了对美联储主席伯南克第二任期的提名。这为一月份参议院全体投票表决铺平了道路。不过该委员会在批准前还是进行了两个小时的激烈争论。该委员会中也有重要共和党议员投票反对伯南克连任。
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has cleared a major hurdle in his bid to win a second four-year term. But Thursday's Senate Banking Committee executive meeting turned out to be a roller-coast ride for Bernanke, who was not present, but was subjected to alternating sessions of praise and stinging criticism.
美联储主席伯南克已经在争取第二个四年任期方面清除了一个重要障碍。但是星期四举行的参议院银行委员会常务会议却变成了伯南克的过山车之旅。他没有出席这个会议，但是会间对他的评价交织着褒扬和尖锐的批评。
The top-ranking Republican on the committee, Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, said he would vote against Bernanke, saying the 2008 financial crisis was years in the making, and that Bernanke bears part of the responsibility because he was a member of the Federal Reserve at that time.
该委员会资深共和党人，来自阿拉巴马州的参议员理查德·谢尔比说，他将投伯南克反对票。谢尔比说，2008年金融危机是经多年酝酿发生的，而伯南克对此负有部分责任，因为他当时是美联储的成员。
"I strongly disapprove of some of the past deeds of the Federal Reserve while Ben Bernanke was a member and its chairman, and I lack confidence in what little planning for the future he has articulated," he said.
谢尔比说：“我对联储过往的某些作法持强烈反对意见，而伯南克那时是联储成员，也是其主席。我对他就未来所做的不详表述缺乏信心。”
Republican Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky mocked Bernanke's naming on Wednesday by Time Magazine as "Person of the Year". The magazine credited Bernanke with saving the United States from a second Great Depression.
来自肯塔基州的共和党参议员吉姆·邦宁对时代周刊星期三将伯南克命名为年度人物进行了嘲讽。该杂志称赞伯南克使美国免于陷入第二次大萧条。
"One financial blogger wrote yesterday that this was like rewarding the captain of the Titanic for getting everyone off the sinking ship after he rammed it into the iceberg," said Bunning.
而邦宁则说：“一名金融博客昨天写道，这就好像是在泰坦尼克撞上冰山后，褒奖船长把所有人都救出了沉船。”
The only Democrat to vote against Bernanke, Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, also blamed Bernanke for failing to recognize the dangers of the housing bubble and other signs of trouble.
来自俄勒冈州的参议员杰夫·默克雷是给伯南克投反对票的唯一一名民主党人。他也指责伯南克未能认识到房市泡沫的危险和其他的危险迹象。
"Dr. Bernanke's approach helped set our economic house on fire," he said. "That fire has destroyed the jobs, the health care, the retirement savings of millions of Americans and working families. Since then, Dr. Bernanke has shown himself to be quite adroit with the fire-hose."
他说：“伯南克的措施等于把我们放在火上烤。这把火烧掉了数百万美国人和工薪家庭的工作、医疗保险和退休储蓄。自那之后，伯南克就一直在向我们展示他很擅长救火。”
Banking Committee Chairman, Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd, gave Bernanke credit for stepping up and taking quick and decisive action to pull the United States back from the brink of economic collapse.
参议院银行委员会主席，民主党参议员多德称赞伯南克，认为正是伯南克采取迅速和果断措施，避免了美国经济走向崩溃。
"The Federal Reserve took extraordinary actions to arrest this crisis and prevent utter economic catastrophe," he said. "And I believe nothing short of that was at risk in the absence of those actions."
“美联储采取了非常措施阻止危机，并防止经济全面崩溃。我相信，如果没有这些措施，我们就会遭遇那样的风险。”
Republican Senator Bob Corker conceded that Bernanke has made mistakes, but said he has learned from them.
"Do I think that there is anybody, anybody in this country that has been tested more, and has the ability to be Chairman of the Fed right now than Chairman Bernanke, I don't think so," he said.
Committee Chairman Dodd rejected attempts by several Republican senators to delay the banking committee's vote on the nomination until early next year. Dodd said the panel needed to vote because Bernanke's first term expires January 31, and the committee has to clear the nomination before Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can bring the issue to the full Senate for consideration when senators return in January after a planned holiday recess. Analysts say Bernanke is likely to win Senate confirmation, but the whole process may be another rough ride.
有些共和党参议员提出把银行委员会对伯南克的提名表决推迟到明年初进行，但是遭到了委员会主席多德的拒绝。多德表示，银行委员会必须做出表决，因为伯南克的第一任期明年1月31号到期，而且银行委员会必须批准提名，参议员多数党领袖里德才能赶在明年一月参议员们休假重返国会后把提名交给参议院全体表决。分析人士说，伯南克很有可能获得参议院的批准，不过会面临重重阻力。 |