VOA常速英语2007年-Bush Wants Money for War in Iraq

By Scott Stearns
White House
15 December 2007

President Bush says Congress must provide what he says are vital funds for U.S. troops before lawmakers leave for Christmas break. VOA White House correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

In his weekly radio address, President Bush says time is running out for Congress to fund troops in Iraq.

"Our men and women on the front lines will be spending this holiday season far from their families and loved ones," said Mr. Bush.  "And this Christmas, they deserve more than words from Congress.  They deserve action."

The Senate Friday authorized¹ nearly $700 billion in military spending for 2008, including nearly $200 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Congress authorizing² money is not the same as spending it. 
 
That is expected to happen in the coming week when some of the president's request for Iraq is likely to be attached to a more than $500 billion government-wide spending bill in the Senate. 

This will allow Democrats⁴ to finish much of the budget process before the end of the calendar year.

But the President and his Republican allies will have succeeded once again in blocking Democrats from making more money for the war conditional⁵ on a timetable for troop withdrawal⁶.

In an interview on public television on Thursday, the speaker of the House, Democrat³ Nancy Pelosi, acknowledged that her party has not been able to attach a timetable for withdrawal.

She said the Democrats can only do so much and that the Presidential election in November 2008 will make all the difference on the war.

1 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

2 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

3 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。

4 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》

5 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

6 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。