有意义的不是Cents Act，可以通过消除便士来节省美国纳税人数百万美元

美国造币厂的2024年年度报告表示，2024年的美分成本上升了20％，连续第19年，其单位成本保持在其面值之上

A bipartisan bill has been introduced in the Senate to eliminate the penny by 2025.

参议院已提出了两党法案，以消除2025年的一分钱。

The measure, titled the "Make Sense Not Cents Act," was unveiled by Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

这项标题为“有意义的不是美分法”的措施是由R-Utah的Mike Lee和D-Ore的Jeff Merkley揭示的。

It would phase out the production of the 1-cent coin over two years.

它将在两年内逐步淘汰1美分硬币的生产。

"Minting pennies costs the American taxpayer millions every year — nearly four times more than the pennies are worth," Lee said in the bill's press release. "No private business would produce something at a 4x loss. It's time to stop wasting Americans' hard-earned tax dollars making overpriced pennies."

李在该法案的新闻稿中说：“每年铸造的便士每年花费数百万美元的价格，是便士价值的四倍。” “没有私营企业会以4倍的损失产生一些东西。是时候停止浪费美国人辛苦赚来的税金了。”

The U.S. Mint's 2024 Annual Report stated that the unit cost for pennies rose by 20% in 2024, and for the 19th year in a row, its unit cost remained above its face value, at 3.69 cents.

美国造币厂的2024年年度报告指出，2024年，便士的单位成本上升了20％，并且连续第19年，其单位成本保持在其面值高于其面值的3.69美分。

Penny production last year came to a gross cost of $117 million, per the report.

根据报告，去年的一分钱产量为1.17亿美元。

The bill would also require the U.S. Mint to submit a report to Congress on the cost of producing each coin and the relative purchasing power of the smallest coins in increments of 5 cents.

该法案还将要求美国造币厂向国会提交一份报告，内容涉及生产每枚硬币的成本以及最小硬币的相对购买力，以5美分的增量增量。

"The penny no longer serves a useful purpose and is a drain on taxpayers," Merkley said. "We can do better than continuing to mindlessly produce coins that lose money and don't serve the public good."

默克利说：“一分钱不再实现有用的目的，并且是纳税人的消耗。” “我们可以做得更好，而不是继续盲目生产损失金钱且不服务于公共利益的硬币。”

The move comes as the U.S. could join other countries that have dropped their lowest currency.

此举是因为美国可以加入其他货币最低货币的国家。

In the 1990s, Australia and New Zealand stopped 1- and 2-cent penny production. Then in 2006, New Zealand stopped producing its 5-cent coin as well, according to Nasdaq.

在1990年代，澳大利亚和新西兰停止了1-和2美分的一分钱生产。纳斯达克（Nasdaq）表示，在2006年，新西兰也停止生产其5美分的硬币。

Canada followed suit in 2012, removing 6 billion pennies from circulation over three years, GovMint reported. The decision was made due to "rising production costs exceeding the face value of the coin and a decline in the penny's purchasing power over time," the site reported.

据Govmint报道，2012年加拿大在2012年效仿，从三年中撤离了60亿便士。该网站报道，该决定是由于“生产成本上升超过了硬币的面值，并且一分钱随着时间的推移的购买力下降。”

When the Bahamas stopped producing its lowest valued coin in 2020, Lisa Cook, a former White House aide during the Obama administration, told the BBC that "I think the public in rich, industrialized countries is becoming less and less wedded to coins, generally."

当巴哈马在2020年停止生产其最低价值的硬币时，奥巴马政府期间的前白宫助手丽莎·库克（Lisa Cook）告诉英国广播公司（BBC），“我认为，富人，工业化国家的公众通常变得越来越不熟悉硬币。”

"After Canada stopped minting the penny in 2012, I think policymakers in other industrialized countries will be more willing to eliminate lower-value coins," she added.

她补充说：“在加拿大在2012年停止铸造一分钱之后，我认为其他工业化国家的决策者将更愿意消除低价值硬币。”

In the same 2024 annual report, the U.S. Mint reported that the unit cost for nickels has also remained above face value for 19 consecutive years, at 13.78 cents.

在同一份2024年的年度报告中，美国造币厂报告说，镍的单位成本连续19年一直保持在面值的高于13.78美分的情况下。

The total amount spent on nickel production in 2024 was about $27.8 million.

2024年在镍产量上花费的总额约为2780万美元。

While Lee's bipartisan bill does not mention nixing nickels, The New York Times entertained the idea.

虽然李的两党法案没有提到尼克斯镍，但《纽约时报》却娱乐了这个想法。

"Having just two coins could hasten a trend away from physical currency that is already underway," the Times wrote.

《泰晤士报》写道：“只有两枚硬币可以加快趋势远离已经在进行的实体货币。”

The Federal Reserve reported that in 2023, the average American made only seven cash payments, and the number has been consistent since 2021. Further, between 2016 and 2023, cash payments decreased from 31% of all transactions to 16%.

美联储报道说，2023年，美国平均只支付了7次现金，并且自2021年以来的数字一直保持一致。此外，在2016年至2023年之间，现金支付从所有交易的31％下降到16％。