VOA标准英语2009年-US Senate Democratic Leaders Outline New Agenda

A day after a new Democratic-led U.S. Congress was sworn in, lawmakers are focusing on an ambitious agenda. Senate Democratic leaders Wednesday outlined their priorities, which range from passing an economic stimulus² plan to addressing new global threats and closing the U.S. detention³ facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
　

Harry4 Reid (file photo)

Topping Democrats⁵' agenda is an economic stimulus plan that will put the growing number of jobless Americans back to work.

"The American people realize we have such a difficult time with the economy. It is in the state of crisis. It's not thousands of jobs being lost each month, but now hundreds of thousands of jobs lost each month," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Senate Republicans are open to a stimulus package, but say tax relief must be an essential part of the plan.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke⁶ at a separate news conference.

"I also think we should take a look at the tax portion of the stimulus package, take a look at reducing the middle class tax rate," he said.

President-elect Barack Obama, who takes office January 20, wants Congress to pass a stimulus package by early next month, at the latest.

On national security, Democrats want to draw down U.S. combat troops from Iraq and put more emphasis on the fight against al-Qaeda.

"We will strengthen nonproliferation and protect our nation from other deadly weapons and will share more effectively in the fight against terrorism by transitioning our strategy in Iraq and refocusing our resources on al-Qaeda, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and other emerging threats," said Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Democrat¹ in the Senate.

Democrats are also eager to end Bush administration detainee policies. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the incoming chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, discussed legislation she introduced this week that would close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

"The need the close this facility is clear: along with the abuses at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo has been decried⁷ throughout the world. It has helped our enemies recruit, it has reduced America's credibility worldwide, strained relationships with our allies, and created a misguided dual⁸ legal system," she said.

The legislation would also limit interrogation procedures by the Central Intelligence Agency and end the outsourcing of coercive interrogations to government contractors⁹.

Other issues on the Democrats' agenda include immigration reform, health care and education.

Besides passing legislation, members of the Senate will hold hearings on President-elect Obama's cabinet nominees¹⁰. The first hearing is scheduled Thursday for former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Mr. Obama's choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

Although the hearings can be held before Mr. Obama's inauguration¹¹, senators cannot vote to confirm nominees until after the new president is sworn in to office later this month.

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 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。

3 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

4 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。

5 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》

6 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。

7 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

9 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》

10 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

11 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。