VOA标准英语2009年-President Obama Sees Progress on Health In

By Gabe Joselow
Washington
10 October 2009

 
US President Barack Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama says the movement to reform the U.S. health insurance system is gaining momentum¹ with the help of politicians who have crossed political lines to support it. The president delivered his message in his weekly radio and Internet address.

After months of rigorous debate on health insurance reform, fought largely along political party lines, President Obama says a bipartisan solution is starting to take shape.

"The approach that is emerging includes the best ideas from Republicans and Democrats³, and people across the political spectrum," he said. "In fact, what's remarkable⁴ is not that we've had a spirited debate about health insurance reform, but the unprecedented⁵ consensus⁶ that has come together behind it."

Mr. Obama praised several Republicans who have recently voiced support for health insurance reform, including two former Senate Majority Leaders, Bob Dole⁷ and Bill Frist, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But President Obama recognized that, for the most part, Republican opposition⁸ remains⁹ one of the biggest challenges to his plans.

"There are some in Washington today who seem determined¹⁰ to play the same old partisan² politics, working to score political points, even if it means burdening this country with an unsustainable status quo," said the president. "A status quo of rising health care costs that are crushing our families, our businesses and our government."

President Obama says the independent, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has concluded the current Senate Finance Committee bill would make health coverage¹¹ affordable¹² for millions of Americans who don't have it today.

 
Senator George LeMieux (file photo)
Delivering the Republican response, Senator George LeMieux of Florida recognized the need for reform, but urged caution.

"We in the Congress have a duty to tackle this problem, but the solution we settle upon should not be rushed, and the solution should not be worse than the problem we are trying to solve," he said.

LeMieux says a Democrat-sponsored plan in the Senate would unfairly burden states like Florida that will have to pay the bill for government health care programs.

"Unlike the federal government, our states have to balance their budgets, and they can't print more money to pay for programs they can't afford," he said. "Piling on additional obligations would mean even more severe cuts to roads, schools, law enforcement and other essential state services."

LeMieux also complains the Democrats plan has new taxes on health insurance providers which he says would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums¹³.

The Senate Finance Committee is due to vote next Tuesday on a health care reform bill that would require all Americans to get health insurance or face penalties. The legislation is projected to cost $829 billion over the next decade.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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》

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

7 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。

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 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

12 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

13 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》