2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Repeats Promise to Veto Iraq Spending

By Scott Stearns
White House
24 April 2007

The White House is stepping-up attacks against opposition¹ Democrats² who want funding for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq tied to a timetable for a troop withdrawal³. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, Democrats say they will send the president that legislation in the coming days, despite his promised veto.

Marine4 One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, 24 Tuesday, April 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070601/1050200.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

President Bush makes astatement on Iraq war supplemental spending bill prior to his departure in Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, 24 Apr 2007

President Bush says he will block $124 billion of emergency war spending, because it calls for U.S. troops to start withdrawing from Iraq by October of this year.

"They know I am going to veto a bill containing these provisions, and they know my veto will be sustained," said Mr. Bush.  "But instead of fashioning a bill I could sign, the Democratic leaders chose to further delay funding our troops, and they chose to make a political statement. That's their right, but it is wrong for our troops and it is wrong for our country.

President Bush says accepting a timetable for troop withdrawal would be accepting a policy that directly contradicts the judgment⁵ of military commanders. He says the Democratic proposal would undermine U.S. troops and threaten the safety of Americans at home because terrorists would use Iraq to plan further attacks.

Democrats say a timetable for withdrawal will force Iraq's government to take greater responsibility for its own security and will stop the president from continuing what they say is an open-ended commitment in Iraq.

Senate Majority Leader Harry⁶ Reid said last week that as long as Americans follow the president's path in Iraq, the war is lost.

Vice⁷ President Dick Cheney Tuesday called the Senator's comments uninformed and misleading.

"It is cynical⁸ to declare that the war is lost, because you believe it gives you political advantage," said Mr. Cheney.  "Leaders should make decisions based on the security interest of our country, not on the interest of their political party."

Shortly after the vice president's comments on Capitol Hill, Senator Reid said the Democratic spending bill is good for the troops and good for the country as it provides more funding than the president asked for.

"We do [budget] more money for Iraq and Afghanistan," he noted⁹.  "We do [budget] money for military medicine and veterans, and so I am not going to get into a name-calling match with the administration's chief attack dog."

Democrats passed their spending bills in close votes, making it highly unlikely they can find the two-thirds majority needed to override¹⁰ the president's veto.

Almost six months after elections that gave them power in the House and Senate, congressional Democrats say they have an obligation to fix what they see as a misguided Iraq policy.

They say the American people voted for change. But President Bush, in his brief statement on the White House lawn, said they did not vote for failure.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 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》

3 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。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

6 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。