2007年VOA标准英语-US Senate Blocks Major Immigration Reform Bill

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
28 June 2007
 

The U.S. Senate has again blocked a sweeping¹ immigration reform bill, handing a key defeat to President Bush, who has made the issue a top domestic priority.  The Senate action Thursday likely dooms³ the legislation until after next year's presidential election.   VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

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Supporters of immigration legislation gather in Little Rock, Arkansas, as they learn of the Senate's rejection of the immigration bill, 28 June 2007

The Senate voted 46 to 53 to limit debate and move the bill to a final vote.  Under Senate rules, 60 votes were necessary in the 100-member chamber⁶ to move the bill forward.

The legislation called for tougher border security, a temporary worker program, and an immediate⁷ granting of legal status for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

Senator Ted⁵ Kennedy was a key supporter of the bill.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, left, and Sen. Edward Kennedy during a news conference on immigration in Washington, 27 Jun 2007

"Year after year we have had the broken borders.  Year after year we have had the exploitation of workers.  Year after year we see the people that have lived in fear within our own borders of the United States of America," he said.  "This is the opportunity to change it.  Now is the time."

But his appeal was not enough to overcome the opposition⁸, much of which came from lawmakers of President Bush's own Republican Party.  They argued the bill would not go far enough in securing U.S. borders and would reward immigrants who came to this country illegally with the promise of U.S. citizenship⁹.

But many Democrats¹⁰, and their labor¹¹ union allies, also opposed the measure because, they argued, the temporary worker provision would create an underclass of cheap laborers¹².

Immigrant advocate groups also criticized the legislation's limits on family migration².

A grassroots campaign by various groups opposing the bill resulted in a flood of phone calls to lawmakers urging defeat of the measure.

Senator David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican and vocal¹³ opponent of the bill, says that had an impact on senators.

"This recent vote was a great victory, not for any individual senator, but for the American people," he said.  "They were heard only because they demanded to be heard."

The bill had been blocked earlier this month by opponents, only to be revived amid an intense lobbying campaign by President Bush.  But his efforts to secure more support, including phone calls and a rare meeting with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill, were to no avail.

The president reacted to the Senate action during a visit to the eastern state of Rhode Island.

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President George Bush addresses an invitation-only crowd of military and civilians at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, 28 June 2007

"Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people and Congress' failure to act on it is a disappointment," he said.

Supporters vow¹⁶ to try again.

"We will be back," added Senator Kennedy.  "This issue is not going away.  Ultimately, we will be successful."

But with the 2008 presidential campaign to begin in earnest later this year, many lawmakers believe that the heated partisan¹⁷ atmosphere accompanying the campaign will make it unlikely that the issue can be thoughtfully debated until after a new president is in office in January 2009.

That was a point made by Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, as he appealed for support for the bill ahead of the vote.

"A temporary worker program and merit-based immigration is a good deal for this country and if we say 'no' today, good luck ever getting it again," he said.

The House of Representatives has not drafted its own version of the bill because it had been awaiting Senate action.

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

3 dooms   

v.注定( doom的第三人称单数 )；判定；使…的失败（或灭亡、毁灭、坏结局）成为必然；宣判

参考例句：

• The ill-advised conceit of the guardian angel dooms the film from the start. 对守护天使的蹩脚设计弄巧成拙，从一开始就注定这部电影要失败。
• The dooms of the two are closely linked. 一条线拴俩蚂蚱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

5 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 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。

9 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

10 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》

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

12 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

13 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

14 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

15 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

16 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

17 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。