VOA常速英语2008年-US Senate Resumes Debate on Iraq

By Deborah Tate
Washington
27 February 2008
 

A bill to cut off funding for the Iraq war survived a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate Tuesday. The action came as Army officials told lawmakers they hope combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan can be shortened beginning later this year, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

By a vote of 70 to 24, the Senate agreed to begin debating a bill that would cut off money for the unpopular war in Iraq. The legislation is sponsored by Senator Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat¹ and staunch opponent of the Bush administration policy in Iraq.

"The president's policies have actually empowered former insurgents² and militia-infiltrated security forces with questionable³ loyalties⁴. By supporting sheiks in al-Anbar and elsewhere, we may have reduced violence in the near term, but only by making it more difficult to achieve national reconciliation⁵ in the long run," he said.

Feingold and other Democrats⁶ argue that the war in Iraq has diverted attention and resources away from the wider war on terrorism.

Republicans, meanwhile, are opposed to Feingold's bill, saying it would, in effect, legislate⁷ defeat in Iraq. "Senator Feingold's amendment⁸ serves to tie the hands of our commanders on the ground," said Senator James Inhofe is an Oklahoma Republican.

Despite their opposition⁹, Republicans did not block the measure from advancing. Debate on the bill will give them and their party's presumptive presidential nominee¹⁰, Senator John McCain, the opportunity to criticize Democrats for trying to end funding for the war at a time when military progress is being made. McCain's support for the U.S. troop surge in Iraq has been a focus of his campaign.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate's top Republican, highlighted the progress in Iraq since the troop surge began. "Violence in Iraq has fallen dramatically. Over the past year, civilian¹¹ deaths are one-sixth of what they were in November 2006. High-profile bombings are down by two-thirds since June. The discovery and seizure¹² of guns and other weapons caches has more than doubled nationally and tripled in Anbar," he said.

A vote on Feingold's bill is expected later this week or next week, but the measure does not appear to have enough support for passage. Although Democrats oppose the war, they are divided over whether to end funding for the mission.

Earlier, U.S. Army officials told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are straining the Army. "We are an army out of balance, and we are consuming our readiness as fast as we build it," said Army Secretary Pete Geren.

Army Chief of Staff, General George Casey, told the panel the Army hopes to cut combat tours in Iraq from 15 months to 12 months later this year once the U.S. military completes its planned drawdown to 15 combat brigades in July.

Casey, who was top U.S. commander in Iraq before becoming chief of staff last year, said reducing the time troops spend in combat would help reduce stress on the force. He said shorter tours should be possible even if President Bush decides to suspend the troop reductions after the drawdown reaches 15 brigades.

1 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。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

4 loyalties   

n.忠诚( loyalty的名词复数 )；忠心；忠于…感情；要忠于…的强烈感情

参考例句：

• an intricate network of loyalties and relationships 忠诚与义气构成的盘根错节的网络
• Rows with one's in-laws often create divided loyalties. 与姻亲之间的矛盾常常让人两面为难。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 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》

7 legislate   

vt.制定法律；n.法规，律例；立法

参考例句：

• Therefore,it is very urgent to legislate for the right of privacy.因此，为隐私权立法刻不容缓。
• It's impossible to legislate for every contingency.为每一偶发事件都立法是不可能的。

8 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。

9 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。

10 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

11 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

12 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。