VOA标准英语2009年-US Senators Engage in Fierce Debate as Vote Nea

The U.S. Senate is headed toward a possible vote on a $900 billion version of an economic stimulus¹ bill aimed at stopping the U.S. economic decline. President Obama said failure to quickly approve the measure would be irresponsible, as he continued to step up pressure on minority Republicans opposing the legislation.
　
From left, Sen. Robert Menendez, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and Sen. Robert Casey, meet with reporters on Capitol Hill to discuss efforts by Senate Democrats³ to pass economic stimulus bill, 06 Feb. 2009

Lawmakers have engaged in some of the fiercest debate heard in years on the huge spending and tax cut proposal, working through numerous amendments⁴ from both sides of the political aisle⁵.

With spending on domestic programs, the aim is to pump hundreds of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy to jolt⁶ it out of a deepening recession.

Democratic leaders are trying to assure at least 60 votes required to approve the measure and avoid any procedural roadblocks put up by Republicans.

Majority Leader Harry⁷ Reid voiced optimism for a late Friday vote, as he appealed to both parties to support President Barack Obama on the stimulus measure.
　
Senators Richard Durbin, right, Charles Schumer, left, and Majority Leader Harry Reid hold copy of stimulus bill passed by House of Representatives, 06 Feb 2009

"President Obama is taking responsible steps that we need to begin the long road to recovery," Reid said.

But overcoming partisan⁸ differences has been difficult, as Republicans assailed⁹ what they called wasteful¹⁰ and unfocused spending they said threatens to sink the American economy in deficits¹¹ and debt.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell reiterated¹² a key Republican complaint.
　
Senator Mitch McConnell talks to reporters about economic stimulus legislation on Capitol Hill, 05 Feb 2009

"Republicans are ready to support a stimulus bill, that really hasn't been in question. But we will not support an aimless spending spree that masquerades as a stimulus," the senator said.

Republicans John McCain and Lindsey Graham criticized behind-the-scenes negotiations¹³ in which moderate Republicans and Democrats were attempting to forge a compromise, saying anything emerging from the talks would not be bipartisan:

"Just picking off a few [Republican] votes is not going to solve our nation's problems," said Graham.

"You cannot call a bill bipartisan if it has two or three or four or even five Republicans out of 535 members of Congress. You can call it an agreement but you cannot call it a bipartisan agreement," McCain added.

One Democrat², Diane Feinstein, said she was growing increasingly concerned about stimulative¹⁴ impact of the bill. "I reserve the right at the end of the day to vote against the package that I don't think puts those jobs out there," she said.

However Democrat Debbie Stabenow, from Michigan, with the nation's highest unemployment rate at 10.6 percent, said the bill signifies a turn away from policies of the past:

"We have seen those policies in place, we have seen the results of those, and they didn't work," Stabenow said.

The latest U.S. jobless figures featured prominently in Senate debate throughout the day Friday.

Lawmakers from both parties cited figures showing U.S. unemployment climbing to its highest level since 1982, with nearly 600,000 jobs lost in January, and a 7.6 percent national jobless rate.
　
President Barack Obama speaks about the economy in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., 06 Feb 2009

President Obama said Friday that failure to approve the bill would be inexcusable and irresponsible.

"They (the electorate) did not vote for the false theories of the past and they didn't vote for phony arguments, and petty politics. They didn't vote for the status quo, they sent us here to bring change, " the president said, speaking late Thursday to House democrats in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Republicans in the House of Representatives issued a statement Friday expressing disappointment with what they called the president's abandonment of his previous calls for bipartisanship.

House Republicans withheld¹⁵ all of their votes from a separate $819 billion version of the economic legislation, and they have urged Senate Republicans to reject the version in that chamber¹⁶ of Congress.

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 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。

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 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

5 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

6 jolt   

v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸

参考例句：

• We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
• They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。

7 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。

8 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。

9 assailed   

v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对

参考例句：

• He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. 他的头遭到猛烈殴打。
• He has been assailed by bad breaks all these years. 这些年来他接二连三地倒霉。 来自《用法词典》

10 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

11 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

12 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 stimulative   

n.刺激，促进因素adj.刺激的，激励的，促进的

参考例句：

• Do you want to enjoy the absolutely stimulative experience? 你想享受魔兽游戏带来的绝对刺激的体验吗？ 来自互联网
• Discussed follow pattern of demand, the way that stimulative technology progresses. 探讨了遵循供求规律，促进技术进步的途径。 来自互联网

15 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。