2007年VOA标准英语-New Congress Makes Ethics Reform a Priority

By Brian Padden
Washington, DC
08 January 2007
 
watch New Congress report

 
110th Congress is sworn in at U.S. Capitol 4 Jan 2007
One of the first orders of business for the new congress with its Democratic majority is changing how the people's business is will be conducted.   VOA's Brian Padden reports on ethics¹ and lobbying reform bills that advocates hope will change the change both the culture and the image of Congress.  

Democratic leaders, such as the new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, have put ethics and lobbying reform at the top of their legislative² agenda.  The first act of this new congress: a ban on gifts and meals and travel from lobbyists.  They say voters sent a strong message for change after a string of mostly Republican-related scandals erupted over the last year.  These include:

 
RandyCunningham
"The truth is I broke the law,” said Republican Congressman³ Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who resigned from Congress after pleading guilty to taking more than $2 million in bribes⁴ from defense⁵ contractors⁶.

Lobbyist Jack⁷ Abramoff, who took an estimated $85 million in fees from Indian casinos and was accused of illegally giving gifts and making campaign donations to legislators in return for votes. 

 
Tom DeLay
"I have done nothing wrong" said powerful Republican Congressman Tom Delay who was directly implicated⁸ in the Abramoff case.  While he maintained his innocence⁹, he was forced to resign from Congress.

And Bob Ney, another Republican congressman, also resigned from Congress after admitting to criminal charges in the Abramoff investigation¹⁰.

Democrats¹¹ have also had their problems.  Democratic Congressman William Jefferson was also the target of a bribery¹² investigation after allegedly accepting $100,000.  He has so far survived the investigation and even recently won re-election to Congress.  

Brian Pallasch is a lobbyist for the American Society of Civil Engineers, and president of the American League of Lobbyists.  He says the proposed legislation is an overreaction to past abuse.

"In one sense the system is working in that we are finding people who are not following the rules and they are being punished for not following those rules.  So we would focus first on the fact that you need to enforce the current rules."

But Joan Claybrook, President of Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group says ethics reform is needed.  "I think that it is very important to have the robust¹³ engagement of debate that lobbying involves.  What isn't good is to have lobbyists give, you know, entertainment tickets free of charge to members of Congress, to take them out to endless dinners -- $200 to $300 dinners -- and supply them, to take them on their private corporate¹⁴ jets to different places where they have to go to travel."

Claybrook not only supports the ban on gifts and travel but also supports the creation of an office of Public Integrity to enforce the rules, and ultimately public funding of elections to dilute¹⁵ the influence of large corporations in political campaigns.  These issues will be considered later in the year. 

1 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

2 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。

3 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。

4 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

8 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

10 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。

11 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》

12 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。

13 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

14 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

15 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。