Congress Postpones Stimulus Plan To '09

Lawmakers postponed work on a sweeping stimulus package until the new Congress and administration take over next year.

Democratic leaders said Thursday they may return to Washington in December to consider aid to the auto sector. But even as the economy deteriorates sharply, they don't appear to have enough support for a major stimulus program before January.

Congress on Thursday granted smaller-scale relief by passing an extension of unemployment benefits. The move came after the Bush administration said it would support the proposal.

'Because of the tight job market, the president believes it would be appropriate to further extend unemployment benefits, and he would sign the legislation now pending in Congress,' White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

The administration's backing followed a report Thursday that new claims for jobless benefits rose 27,000 to 542,000 last week, the highest level in 16 years. Continuing claims topped four million, a 25-year high, as the unemployed find new jobs elusive amid a weakening labor market. Thursday's measure extends unemployment benefits by seven weeks, or by 13 weeks in states with jobless rates above 6% in the past three months.

Without a substantial fiscal stimulus plan, the nation's economy is expected to worsen through January, when President-elect Barack Obama takes office. Ten days after the inauguration, the government is scheduled to release the first estimate of fourth-quarter economic output, which many economists forecast will contract at a 4% annualized rate. That would follow a third-quarter contraction of 0.3%, placing the nation in recession, which many economists define as two consecutive quarters of declining output.

A stimulus package next year would come after what is likely to be the worst of the downturn in terms of output. The economy also is expected to contract in the first quarter of 2009. After that, economic activity is expected to remain weak, with elevated unemployment into 2010, giving the new administration a chance to argue for a variety of measures.

Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama's chief of staff, said this week that a stimulus plan would be Mr. Obama's 'first order of business' next year.

美国国会将大规模经济刺激计划推迟到下一届国会和政府明年初就任之后。

民主党领导人周四表示，他们可能会在12月份重返华盛顿，考虑对汽车业的救助问题。但尽管美国经济急剧恶化，他们似乎难以获得足够的支持在明年1月份之前实施重大刺激计划。

国会周四通过了延长失业救济的小规模救助法案。之前，布什政府表示将支持该提案。

白宫发言人佩里诺(Dana Perino)说，由于就业市场收紧，总统相信延长失业救济是恰当的做法，他将签署这份目前在国会等待通过的法案。

在白宫表示支持之前，周四公布的数据显示，上周美国首次申请失业救济人数增加27,000人，达到542,000人，是16年来的最高水平。仍在吃救济的人超过400万，是25年来最高水平。由于就业市场疲软，失业者发现很难找到新工作。周四通过的计划将把失业救济延长7周，对那些过去三个月里失业率超过6%的州则延长13周。

由于大规模财政刺激计划暂缓推行，预计到1月份奥巴马(Barack Obama)就任新总统之前美国经济将继续恶化。政府计划在就职仪式10天后发布四季度经济产值初步数据，许多经济学家预计，该季度美国经济折合成年率将下降4%。三季度美国经济下降0.3%，由此，连续两个季度的下跌将标志着美国经济处于衰退状态。

明年的经济刺激计划将在经济产出出现最严重下跌局面之后到来。预计2009年一季度美国经济还将继续萎缩，那之后经济活动将保持疲弱，直到2010年，失业率将继续上升，这一形势下新一届政府将有机会提出不同的经济刺激措施。

奥巴马的白宫办公厅主任伊曼纽尔(Rahm Emanuel)本周表示，经济刺激计划将是奥巴马明年的“第一单业务”。