2006年VOA标准英语-House Leaders In Bipartisan Call for Return of

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
24 May 2006

In an unusual bipartisan step, Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are calling for the U.S. Justice Department to return documents seized by federal agents in an unprecedented² search of a lawmaker facing a bribery³ investigation⁴.

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William Jefferson
  

It is the latest development in the still unfolding story surrounding Democratic Congressman⁵ William Jefferson, whose Capitol Hill office was searched for 18 hours as part of a federal investigation into his activities underway since last year.

Members of Congress from both sides of the political aisle⁶ have been outraged⁷ by the FBI search of Jefferson's congressional office, calling it a breach⁸ of the principle of separation of powers and a violation⁹ of the Constitution.

The powerful Republican Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, raised the matter in meetings with President Bush this week and on Wednesday called for the Department of Justice to return documents taken:

"We want to protect the prerogatives¹⁰ of the House as far as the Constitution [is concerned]," said Dennis Hastert. "We think those materials ought to be returned. We also think that those people involved in that issue ought to be frozen out of that [the investigation] just for the sake of the constitutional aspect of it."

A Democrat¹ from the southern Gulf¹¹ coast state of Louisiana, Congressman Jefferson was videotaped last year by the FBI taking $100,000 supplied by a federal informant from the trunk of a car.

Federal authorities say $90,000 of that money was later found in a freezer in Jefferson's home, wrapped in food containers and aluminum¹² foil.

Jefferson has not been charged with any crime and has maintained he is innocent, saying he has not yet had a chance to put forward his side of the story.

Earlier this week, U.S. Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez said that while a search of a lawmaker's congressional office was unique, the Justice Department was compelled by the refusal of Jefferson to comply with a subpoena¹³.

"The Department of Justice is doing its job in investigating criminal wrongdoing, and we have an obligation to the American people to pursue the evidence where it exists," said Alberto Gonzalez.

In an unusual joint¹⁴ statement Wednesday, House Speaker Hastert and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi accused the Justice Department of violating the principle of Separation of Powers, and the Speech or Debate Clause of the U.S. Constitution which provides immunity¹⁵ to lawmakers while they are engaged in legislative¹⁶ acts.

They say that while these principles were not designed to place anyone above the law, they were designed to protect the Congress and the American people from abuses of power.

The Republican and Democratic leaders also demand that the Justice Department return papers that were unconstitutionally seized and that federal authorities stop any review of documents, and ensure that contents are not revealed to investigators¹⁷.

Though House Democrats¹⁸ have not called publicly for Congressman Jefferson to resign his seat in the House, Minority Leader Pelosi Wednesday took the step of asking him to resign immediately from a key House committee. Jefferson has refused.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

6 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

7 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

8 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

9 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

10 prerogatives   

n.权利( prerogative的名词复数 )；特权；大主教法庭；总督委任组成的法庭

参考例句：

• The tsar protected his personal prerogatives. 沙皇维护了自己的私人特权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Congressmen may be reluctant to vote for legislation that infringes the traditional prerogatives of the states. 美国国会议员可能不情愿投票拥护侵犯各州传统特权的立法。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

12 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

13 subpoena   

n.（法律）传票；v.传讯

参考例句：

• He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。
• Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

14 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

15 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

16 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

17 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》