多位资深参议员对特朗普总统提出的“黄金穹顶”导弹防御系统的实际效果及成本提出了质疑。
Top senators are questioning the effectiveness and cost of President Trump's Golden Dome missile defense effort.
为何此事备受关注：这一庞大的防御计划至今仍难以获得国会议员的支持，同时还面临严重的资金短缺问题。
Why it matters: Trump's sprawling plan is still failing to win needed support from lawmakers — and it's in dire financial straits.
当前进展：在9月29日举行的参议院军事委员会小组听证会上，多位议员及国防分析人士表示，他们对“黄金穹顶”系统的技术细节与实际能力知之甚少。
State of play: Lawmakers and defense analysts said during a Sept. 29 Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing they're in the dark about Golden Dome's technology and capabilities.
缅因州独立籍参议员安格斯·金指出，根据各种成本估算数据，在全国范围内构建导弹防御网似乎“不太可能实现”，他还质疑道：“究竟谁能得到保护，谁又无法得到保护呢？”美国国防部“黄金穹顶”项目办公室的发言人则拒绝就此发表评论。
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said given various cost estimates it appeared that nationwide missile coverage was "not in the cards" and wondered "who is protected and who isn't?" A spokesperson for the Defense Department's Golden Dome officedeclined to comment.
数据说明一切：今年5月，美国国会预算办公室估算，在20年的建设周期内，该导弹防御系统的总成本可能高达1.2万亿美元。
By the numbers: In May, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the missile shield could cost as much as $1.2 trillion over 20 years.
内布拉斯加州共和籍参议员黛布·菲舍尔在听证会上要求国会预算办公室今后能提供更为详实的分析报告。不过，该办公室负责国家安全分析的主任大卫·莫舍尔向议员们说明，直到9月29日听证会召开前五天，该办公室才首次收到“黄金穹顶”项目办公室的相关情况介绍。
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) told a CBO official during last week's hearing she wanted "more informed analysis in the future." Yes, but: David Mosher, CBO's national security analysis director, told lawmakers CBO received its first briefing from the Golden Dome office just five days before the Sept. 29 hearing.
“黄金穹顶”项目负责人迈克尔·盖特林将军则对国会预算办公室的估算结果表示不满，坚称整个项目的预算将控制在1850亿美元以内。
Gen. Michael Guetlein, Golden Dome's program manager, has decried the CBO estimate and said the system will remain within a $185 billion budget.
资金来源方面：“黄金穹顶”项目的资金完全通过“预算协调程序”筹措，这一机制使得共和党占多数的国会能够顺利通过额外的开支计划。去年该项目获得了244亿美元的资金支持，而今年申请的175亿美元资金也几乎全部来自这一渠道。
Follow the money: Golden Dome's been funded exclusively through reconciliation, a maneuver that allows the Republican majority to pass additional spending. It netted $24.4 billion last year, and almost all of the $17.5 billion requested for the program this year comes from reconciliation.