VOA常速英语2008年-Bush Unveils $3.1 Trillion Federal Budget Propo

By Michael Bowman
Washington
04 February 2008

The Bush administration has unveiled a federal budget for the next year that emphasizes spending to boost national security and spur the economy while reining¹ in costs for government medical assistance programs. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, the proposed 2009 budget is getting a chilly² reception in the Democratically-controlled Congress, which must approve the plan.

President Bush's fiscal³ year 2009 budget totals a record $3.1 trillion, more than 20 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and more than the entire GDP of the world's third largest national economy, Germany. It projects a short term spike⁴ in the federal deficit⁵ to more than $400 billion but envisions eliminating the deficit by 2012.

Speaking at the White House Monday, the president called it a "good, solid budget."

"Our budget protects America and encourages economic growth," he said. "Congress needs to pass it."

The security portion of the budget comes in the form of nearly $600 billion for defense-related activities, including fighting terrorism and strengthening democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as more funding for domestic operations, such as nuclear detection and border security. The budget does not, however, cover the full cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are funded under separate legislation.

The 2009 budget includes a $150 billion economic stimulus⁶ package negotiated with key congressional leaders, the extension of tax cuts, assistance for homeowners, and increased funding for scientific research, including alternative fuels. It also boosts funding for educational initiatives.

White House Budget Director Jim Nussle says promoting economic growth is vital.

"Continued economic growth is the most critical element of putting together a budget like this," he said. "If you are going to reduce the deficit, of getting back to [fiscal] balance, addressing the long term challenges our country faces, it is crucial to have good, strong, economic growth."

Nussle was asked how it is that President Bush inherited a budget surplus when he entered office in 2001, yet will leave next year having added trillions of dollars to the national debt. Nussle noted⁷ that the United States has suffered terrorist attacks and natural disasters that necessitated⁸ more government spending than Mr. Bush envisioned when he came to Washington. He said one key to long term fiscal health is to control the costs of entitlement spending in Social Security and government medical programs. He said the president's budget does not cut entitlement spending. Rather, he said, it trims growth to a level the nation can afford, while also limiting other domestic spending.

Presidential budgets are rarely embraced in their original form by opposition-controlled legislatures, particularly in election years. Already, Democratic lawmakers are blasting the budget as miserly when it comes to critical government services and lavish⁹ when it comes to increasing America's debt burden.

"Under the Bush administration proposal, they are building a wall of debt," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad. "At the end of his first year, the gross debt of the United States stood at 5.8 trillion [dollars]. If you look at the end of his eight years of responsibility, we see the debt as over $10.4 trillion. That is almost a doubling of the national debt on his watch."

Presidential budgets are normally hefty documents. This year, for the first time, Mr. Bush is sending out the budget in electronic form that members of Congress and the nation can read online.

1 reining   

勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的现在分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理

参考例句：

• "That's a fine bevy, Ma'm,'said Gerald gallantly, reining his horse alongside the carriage. "太太！好一窝漂亮的云雀呀！" 杰拉尔德殷勤地说，一面让自己的马告近塔尔顿的马车。
• I was a temperamental genius in need of reining in by stabler personalities. 我是个需要由更稳重的人降服住的神经质的天才。

2 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

3 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。

4 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

5 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

6 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

7 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。

8 necessitated   

使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Recent financial scandals have necessitated changes in parliamentary procedures. 最近的金融丑闻使得议会程序必须改革。
• No man is necessitated to do wrong. 没有人是被迫去作错事的。

9 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。