VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Urges Lawmakers to Act Quickly on Economi

President-elect Barack Obama urged congressional leaders on Monday to act quickly to pass a huge stimulus¹ package for the U.S. economy. Mr. Obama met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
　

President-elect Barack Obama meets with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her office on Capitol Hill in Washington, 05 Jan 2009

Obama met individually with Democratic and Republican House and Senate leaders and later spoke² to a bipartisan leadership gathering³.

In comments to reporters early on Monday, he underscored the urgency of finalizing⁴ economic legislation.

"We have got an extraordinary economic challenge ahead of us," said Barack Obama. "We are expecting a sobering job[s] report at the end of the week. The Speaker [of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi] and her staff have been extraordinarily⁵ helpful in working with our team so that we can shape an economic recovery and reinvestment plan that starts putting people back to work."

Mr. Obama wants tax cuts for individual Americans and businesses to make up a significant portion of expected legislation. This could involve as much as $300 billion of a bill that is likely to exceed $700 billion and include aid to cash-poor U.S. states, and money for alternative energy and a range of infrastructure⁶ projects.

Later, Mr. Obama said he expects to be able to sign legislation as soon as the end of this month, adding that quick action is necessary to "break the momentum⁷ of the U.S. recession".

Emerging later from bipartisan talks with Mr. Obama, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers discussed with the president-elect how to pass a stimulus package as quickly as possible.

"An economic recovery package that will create jobs immediately and will grow the economy and that is what we talked about today," said Nancy Pelosi. "How we could do this expeditiously⁸, deliberatively and to act upon it soon."
　

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer

Just how soon that would be, Pelosi would not say. But the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has said a measure could move in the House by the end of this month, sending it to the Senate, with the objective of passage in mid-February.

How much support Democrats⁹ can obtain from Republicans will depend on the details. But the severity of the U.S. recession has created considerable bipartisan backing for quick action.

Senate Majority Leader, Harry¹⁰ Reid:

"There are investments that we need to make on behalf of the American people to turn around this economy," said Harry Reid. "I felt very good about the meeting; I am confident that we can do this and we have to do this."

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino made this comment to reporters when asked about legislation shaping up on Capitol Hill.

"I think the best thing I can do is to decline to comment on what they are going to do going forward," said Dana Perino. "Obviously, we think that tax cuts were the right way to help our economy get out of the recession that this president inherited and we know that tax cuts can spur innovation."

Asked by reporters how large the economic stimulus package might be, Senate Majority Leader Reid said President-elect Obama indicated that all but one of some 28 economists¹¹ advising him had said it should range from $800 billion to $1.3

1 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。

2 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。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 finalizing   

vt.完成（finalize的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• You may edit registered information any time during the finalizing period. 您可以在规定期限内随时编辑修改注册资料。 来自互联网
• Natsun Trimming & Ironing, Finalizing the Perfection. 40南山整烫，完美在此定格。 来自互联网

5 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

8 expeditiously   

adv.迅速地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• They have to be evaluated expeditiously, carefully with the patient fully UNDRESSED. 我看过许多的枪伤患者，但是就只有阿扁的伤口没有上述情形，真是天佑台湾。 来自互联网
• We will expeditiously facilitate trade transactions with the utmost professionalism. 我们会尽快贸易便利化的交易与最大的专业水平。 来自互联网

9 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》

10 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。

11 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》