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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
03 January 2007
The U.S. Congress reconvenes Thursday with the new Democratic majority vowing1 to push ahead immediately with their legislative2 agenda. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill where Republicans, who are now the opposition3, challenged Democratic leaders to adhere to pledges made during the November election.
US Capitol, Washington DC |
For Democrats6, that meant reiterating7 what they call their 100 hour agenda, a push beginning next week to pass legislation on six key issues in the first two weeks or so of Congress.
First on the list, scheduled for next Tuesday, is legislation to enact8 all, or nearly all, of the recommendations of the independent commission that investigated the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Democrats then intend to follow quickly with three other items: increasing the minimum wage for U.S. workers, loosening restrictions9 on funding for stem cell research, and allowing the government to negotiate with big pharmaceutical10 companies for lower drug prices.
Next week, they will introduce legislation to reduce interest rates for student college loans, and a bill to end subsidies11 for large oil companies and provide stimulus12 for new investments in renewable energy.
Democratic leaders face questions about their decision to speed up passage by sending bills directly to the House floor, bypassing committees, and limiting Republican opportunities to offer amendments13 or alternative measures.
Republican Congressman14 Patrick McHenry calls that tactic15 dishonest, asserting it violates pledges Democrats made to voters during the congressional election campaign for a more open and civil atmosphere:
"One of the key tenets of the Democrat's strategy in the last election, a demand for honest, open, fair, bipartisan debate, will be stepped on," he said.
But House Majority Leader-elect Steny Hoyer says Democrats consider their early agenda a mandate16 from Americans to achieve specific goals, after which a more open system will prevail.
Democrats insist there will be no backtracking on key pillars, including the question of ethics17 reform and restoring integrity to Congress.
Among other things, they will introduce changes to prohibit lawmakers from accepting gifts, meals or travel from lobbyists or lobbying organizations.
Rahm Emanuel is the Democratic Caucus18 Chairman:
"We ran on an agenda, the Democrats, to move this country in a new direction, and to bring change most fundamentally to Washington, and to the way the people's business is done in the people's house," he said.
Another measure would require new disclosures on special-interest funding measures known as earmarks, and restore a system requiring new spending to be offset19 by cuts in other budget areas.
As House Democrats assume control they are also facing pressure from some radical20 opponents of the Iraq war.
Cindy Sheehan, activist21 and mother of a soldier who died in Iraq, spoke22 after she and fellow demonstrators demanding a U.S. troop withdrawal23 drowned out a Democratic news conference:
DEMONSTRATORS: "De-escalate, investigate, troops home now!"
SHEEHAN: "Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership can no longer tell us what is on the table. The American public are the employers and we want them to know that what is on the table is not voting for any more supplemental spending for the killing24 in Iraq."
Democrats are waiting to hear what President Bush proposes on Iraq, amid reports he may call for a temporary increase of as many as 20,000 troops.
Majority Leader-elect Hoyer offered a word of caution Wednesday, saying the president has, in his words, been almost uniformly wrong on Iraq.
In coming weeks, Congress will consider a new supplemental spending request from the Bush administration for billions more in funding for Iraq and Afghanistan.
Democratic leaders, including Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi, reject calls from some anti-war Democrats for a congressional funding cutoff, saying U.S. forces in Iraq must have the full support of Congress.
But Democrats will press the administration to include funding in regular annual budgets rather than as separate requests, a step also recommended by a bi-partisan panel set up by Congress to examine possible changes in U.S. policy. Democrats will also plan to place greater scrutiny25 on spending, and investigate such things as waste by contractors26 in Iraq.
1 vowing | |
起誓,发誓(vow的现在分词形式) | |
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2 legislative | |
n.立法机构,立法权;adj.立法的,有立法权的 | |
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3 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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4 aisle | |
n.(教堂、教室、戏院等里的)过道,通道 | |
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5 posturing | |
做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 ) | |
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6 democrats | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
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7 reiterating | |
反复地说,重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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8 enact | |
vt.制定(法律);上演,扮演 | |
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9 restrictions | |
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则) | |
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10 pharmaceutical | |
adj.药学的,药物的;药用的,药剂师的 | |
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11 subsidies | |
n.补贴,津贴,补助金( subsidy的名词复数 ) | |
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12 stimulus | |
n.刺激,刺激物,促进因素,引起兴奋的事物 | |
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13 amendments | |
(法律、文件的)改动( amendment的名词复数 ); 修正案; 修改; (美国宪法的)修正案 | |
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14 Congressman | |
n.(美)国会议员 | |
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15 tactic | |
n.战略,策略;adj.战术的,有策略的 | |
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16 mandate | |
n.托管地;命令,指示 | |
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17 ethics | |
n.伦理学;伦理观,道德标准 | |
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18 caucus | |
n.秘密会议;干部会议;v.(参加)干部开会议 | |
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19 offset | |
n.分支,补偿;v.抵消,补偿 | |
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20 radical | |
n.激进份子,原子团,根号;adj.根本的,激进的,彻底的 | |
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21 activist | |
n.活动分子,积极分子 | |
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22 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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23 withdrawal | |
n.取回,提款;撤退,撤军;收回,撤销 | |
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24 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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25 scrutiny | |
n.详细检查,仔细观察 | |
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26 contractors | |
n.(建筑、监造中的)承包人( contractor的名词复数 ) | |
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