2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Seeks Patriot Act Extension

By Scott Stearns
White House
03 January 2006

President Bush says some opposition¹ Democrats² are playing politics with U.S. national security by delaying the long-term extension of controversial anti-terrorism laws. Opponents say the expanded police powers threaten civil liberties.

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George Bush flanked by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales 
  

President Bush says he will spend the next 30 days trying to convince Congress and the American people that the nation needs a permanent extension of the anti-terrorism laws known as the Patriot³ Act.

"The American people expect to be protected, and the Patriot Act is a really important tool for them to stay protected," the president said.

First passed following the September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, those broader police powers were due to expire at the end of 2005.   Congress gave the president just a one-month extension through February 3 amidst concerns from Democrats and some Republicans that parts of the Patriot Act threaten civil liberties.

The laws give investigators⁴ broader powers to seize library and medical records as well as to conduct roving wiretaps. Opponents are also concerned about what they say is limited Congressional and judicial⁵ oversight⁶.

President Bush says there is plenty of oversight in the Patriot Act. He says critics are putting partisan⁷ politics ahead of national security.

"There's oversight on this important program," he said.  "And now when it came time to renew the act, for partisan reasons in my mind, people have not stepped up and have agreed that it is still necessary to protect the country. The enemy has not gone away. They are still there. And I expect Congress to understand that we are still at war, and they have got to give us the tools necessary to win this war."

This will be the president's first legislative⁸ challenge of the new year and comes at a time of new questions about expanding executive power following the president's admission that he authorized⁹ the surveillance of telephone calls without a court warrant.

President Bush says those intercepts¹⁰ are strictly¹¹ limited to communications where one of the parties is outside the United States, and then only to people with known links to terrorist groups.

He says media reports that uncovered the operation have helped America's enemies by revealing U.S. intelligence techniques. The Justice Department is investigating how reporters learned of the program.

Congress will investigate the intercepts themselves and whether the president exceeded his power by authorizing¹² them without a court order.

1 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。

2 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》

3 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

4 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

6 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

7 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。

8 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。

9 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

10 intercepts   

（数学）截距( intercept的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It intercepts a portion of the light impinging on the photocell. 它遮住一部分照射在光电管上的光。
• The pelletfilter intercepts the particulate matter. 颗粒过滤器将颗粒物进行拦截。

11 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

12 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。