2007年VOA标准英语-US House Approves Defense Authorization Measure

By VOA News
17 May 2007

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved by a vote of 397 to 27 legislation authorizing¹ about $644 billion for defense² spending in 2008, including billions for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. VOA's Dan Robinson reports that in approving the measure setting overall spending policy for the Pentagon, lawmakers rejected proposals to restrict President Bush's ability to use funds to plan any possible future military actions against Iran.

The legislation authorizes³ about $142 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2008 fiscal⁴ year beginning October 1.

This contrasts with previous years when Congress approved spending in a series of separate emergency supplemental bills requested by President Bush, outside of the regular budget process.

Lawmakers want greater accountability, and are requiring a report in September on the situation in Iraq, including Iraqi government efforts at political reconciliation⁵, by U.S. General David Petraeus and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.

U.S.Defense Secretary Robert Gates will also have to report on a proposed force levels, missions and contingency⁶ planning.

House armed services committee chairman Ike Skelton:

"This information will help lawmakers as they ask tough questions and make frank judgments⁷ about how the U.S. will pass security responsibilities to Iraqis. I am convinced that the sectarian violence will only be overcome by Iraqi political progress and thus far I have not seen much evidence of that," he said.

The measure also extends the authority of the existing U.S. inspector⁸ general for Iraq, and requires more coordination⁹ between the Pentagon and State Department in overseeing thousands of contractors¹⁰ in Iraq.

In providing funds for Afghanistan, the House requires what is called a long-term sustainment plan aimed at ensuring that Afghan forces have logistical and other needs into the future, and authorizes a new special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction¹¹.

Lawmakers confronted a Bush administration veto threat over Democrat-crafted amendments¹³ that would have prohibited the use of funds for military action against Iran.

One sought to prevent the president from taking military action against Iran without specific authorization¹⁴ from Congress, unless there is an attack on the U.S. by Iran. Another would have prevented money being spent to plan a contingency operation in Iran.

House minority whip Roy Blunt explained why Republicans thought that was a bad idea. "We expect the military to have an idea how they would react if unforeseen circumstances develop. This was a specific prohibition¹⁵ against having a plan, which was responded to by members in the way it should have been, which means it was easily defeated," he said.

Lawmakers approved a $764 million cut to the Bush administration's $10 billion defense program, a move Republicans say will cause delays, and set back plans for a missile defense site in Poland.

In a Senate hearing, General Bantz Craddock, the supreme¹⁶ allied¹⁷ commander in Europe, spoke¹⁸ about the impact. "Indirectly¹⁹, there may be some problems created with regard to perceptions of how serious we the United States are about this effort," he said.

At the same time, Republicans succeeded in adding language reaffirming the U.S. intention to work more closely with Israel on missile defense.

On another issue, the House narrowly approved a Democrat-backed amendment¹² requiring the Bush administration to develop a plan to transfer detainees from the facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Democrats²⁰ say the defense measure, which also adds some 46,000 troops to the Army, Marines and National Guard, and funds needed equipment, is a major step forward in easing pressures on a military strained by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Senate has not yet passed its version of the defense authorization bill which will come up next week in the Senate Armed Services Committee. Both chambers²¹ must also approve separate legislation to actually appropriate defense spending for 2008.

1 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。

2 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。

3 authorizes   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。

4 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

5 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

6 contingency   

n.意外事件，可能性

参考例句：

• We should be prepared for any contingency.我们应该对任何应急情况有所准备。
• A fire in our warehouse was a contingency that we had not expected.库房的一场大火是我们始料未及的。

7 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

8 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

9 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

10 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》

11 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

12 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

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

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

14 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

15 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

16 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

17 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

18 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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

19 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

20 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》

21 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网