VOA标准英语2009年-Democrats, Republicans in New Dispute Over

Republicans and Democrats¹ in the U.S. House of Representatives are engaged in a new dispute over the Central Intelligence Agency, involving allegations the CIA misled Congress.
　
Leon Panetta (file photo)

The latest controversy² was sparked by a letter released on Wednesday by Democrats on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to CIA Director Leon Panetta, regarding remarks he made in a closed door session with the committee last month.

The seven Democrats say Panetta acknowledged in the June testimony³ that top CIA officials had concealed⁴ "significant actions" from Congress since 2001, and they urged him to correct a statement he made in May that it is not the policy or practice of the CIA to mislead Congress.

That earlier statement by Panetta was in response to the controversy over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's assertion that the CIA misled Congress over the use of harsh detainee interrogation methods during the Bush administration.

At her regular weekly news briefing, Pelosi was asked whether the new information about Panetta, which lawmakers have not discussed because of its classified nature, has silenced the debate over her assertion that the CIA misled lawmakers and the flood of attacks against her by minority Republicans.
　
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (file photo)

"This is an excuse, not a reason," she said. "As I told you, our [the Democrats'] success is driving Republicans to distraction⁵; any excuse will do. But the fact is, there is a briefing that is of serious concern for members of the committee and they have their course of action to deal with it."

Republicans assert that the letter about Panetta's recent briefing is another effort by Democrats to shield Pelosi from further criticism.

The Democratic Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Silvestre Reyes, issued a statement saying he believes the CIA has "in the vast majority of matters, told the truth".

But he said that in rare instances, certain CIA officers "have not adhered to the high standards held, as a rule, by the CIA with respect to truthfulness⁶ in reporting."

In a letter to the ranking committee Republican Representative, Pete Hoekstra, Reyes said the committee "has been misled, has not been provided full and complete notifications, and [in at least one occasion] was affirmatively lied to."
　
House Minority Leader John Boehner (file photo)

House Republican leader John Boehner says the letter to CIA Director Panetta from committee Democrats changed nothing regarding Speaker Pelosi's initial allegation against the CIA.

"I am still waiting for Speaker Pelosi to either put up the facts or retract⁷ her statement and apologize," he said.

Meanwhile, a statement by the CIA said Panetta stands by his earlier remarks and believes it is vital to keep Congress fully⁸ informed.

The controversy spilled into consideration by the House of Representatives of an intelligence authorization⁹ bill for the 2010 fiscal¹⁰ year, which begins in October.

Democrats disallowed¹¹ a Republican-sponsored amendment¹², which they view as an effort to embarrass Pelosi, that would have required the CIA to release unclassified accounts of its briefings on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques.

President Obama issued his second veto threat of his administration on the intelligence measure, opposing a Democratic proposal to expand to more than 40 the number of lawmakers who must be briefed about secret activities. Currently, classified briefings are given to the top Democratic and Republican leaders of Congress, and the majority and minority heads of the House and Senate intelligence committees.

1 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》

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

4 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

5 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

6 truthfulness   

n. 符合实际

参考例句：

• Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness. 她有许多的美德，如忠诚、勇敢和诚实。
• I fired a hundred questions concerning the truthfulness of his statement. 我对他发言的真实性提出一连串质问。

7 retract   

vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消

参考例句：

• The criminals should stop on the precipice, retract from the wrong path and not go any further.犯罪分子应当迷途知返，悬崖勒马，不要在错误的道路上继续走下去。
• I don't want to speak rashly now and later have to retract my statements.我不想现在说些轻率的话，然后又要收回自己说过的话。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

10 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

11 disallowed   

v.不承认（某事物）有效( disallow的过去式和过去分词 )；不接受；不准；驳回

参考例句：

• The judge disallowed that evidence. 法官驳回那项证据。 来自辞典例句
• Her claim was disallowed on the ground(s) that she had not paid her premium. 她要求赔款遭到拒绝，原因是她事先没有交纳保险费。 来自辞典例句

12 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。