2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Backs World Bank Chief Wolfowitz
搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号：tingroom，领取免费英语资料大礼包。
（单词翻译）
By Scott StearnsWhite House
13 April 2007
President Bush is backing the embattled head of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, who is under pressure to resign for increasing the salary of a former employee who was his girlfriend. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.
World Bank directors say they will have a speedy decision on the fate of Wolfowitz, who has admitted boosting the salary of girlfriend Shaha Riza.
The World Bank prohibits romantic relations between workers and supervisors1. Riza was given a job at the U.S. State Department when Wolfowitz took over at the World Bank in 2005, but not before she received a pay raise of more than $60,000, from $132,000 to more than $193,000.
Wolfowitz apologized to World Bank staff.
| World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz takes part in a news conference at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) building in Washington, 12 Apr 2007 |
The Bank's board of directors says its ethics5 committee did not review a recommendation by Wolfowitz two years ago to increase the woman's salary.
President Bush nominated Wolfowitz for the job in 2005. Before that, he worked at the U.S. Defense6 Department, where he played a key role in pushing for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino says Wolfowitz has the president's full confidence.
"He has done a remarkable7 job at the World Bank, where they are working to lift people up out of poverty from around the world," she noted8. "He has apologized for the matter, and his board is undergoing an internal review. And we expect him to remain as World Bank president. He has the president's support."
A staff association at the World Bank is calling on Wolfowitz to resign, saying he has compromised the integrity and effectiveness of the bank and destroyed trust in his leadership.
Wolfowitz tried to address employees Thursday about the matter, but left after staff members hissed9, booed and chanted for him to resign.
