VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Campaigns for Health Care Reform, Pr

U.S. President Barack Obama is taking his campaign for health-care reform on the road, with events in the southern states of Virginia and North Carolina. Mr. Obama has pushed back his timetable for Congressional action, saying he expects to get the necessary legislation in September.
　
President Barack Obama speaks during a town hall meeting at Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, 29 July 2009

As the president began his latest round of appearances to push health-care reform, he got some good news from Capitol Hill.

Democrats¹ in the House of Representatives announced they had reached a compromise on just how to pay for the costly² reform measure. President Obama, who had set an early August deadline, now predicts necessary action in September when Congress returns from a month-long recess³.

Republican lawmakers say Democrats are trying to push through a bill without enough time for proper Congressional scrutiny⁴. The president says they no longer have reason to complain.

"Congress will have time to read the bill," Mr. Obama said. "They will have time to debate the bill. They will have all of August to review the various legislative⁵ proposals."

President Obama told a community meeting at a school in Raleigh, North Carolina, that he will be available to talk to any member of Congress who has questions.

"If they want to come over to the White House and go over line-by-line what is going on, I will be happy to do that," Mr. Obama said.

Mr. Obama said he does not want to see - what he called - "petty politics" get in the way of reform. He said some opponents are trying to delay the process as much as they can, in hopes of killing⁶ the entire reform effort.

"The American people cannot wait any longer," Mr. Obama said. "They want action this year. I want action this year. And with your help, we are going to make it happen, North Carolina."

From Raleigh, Mr. Obama traveled to the town of Bristol, Virginia for another town-hall meeting on health care reform - this time with employees at a local supermarket.

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 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

4 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。