VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Hails Historic Senate Health Car

US president acknowledges toughest part of the process may lie ahead, melding the House and Senate versions of the sweeping¹ health care reform bill into one.

Paula Wolfson | White House 24 December 2009

 
Photo: AP
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice² President Joe Biden, speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington after the Senate passed the health-care reform bill, 24 Dec 2009

"With today's vote we are now incredibly close to making health insurance reform a reality in this country. Our challenge now is to finish the job," said President Barack Obama.

U.S. President Barack Obama has hailed the Senate vote on health-care reform, calling it a landmark³ piece of legislation.  The measure is a top priority for the Obama administration.

On Christmas Eve, the Senate gave President Barack Obama a very welcome gift.

"In a historic vote that took place this morning members of the Senate joined their colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a landmark health-insurance reform package," President Obama said.

It was a big victory for the president.  In brief remarks at the White House about an hour after the Senate vote, he spoke⁴ of the impact reform will have on the American people.

"With today's vote we are now incredibly close to making health insurance reform a reality in this country," said Mr. Obama.  "Our challenge now is to finish the job."

He acknowledged the toughest part of the process may lie ahead; melding the House and Senate versions of the sweeping health care reform bill into one.

"Having passed reform bills in both the House and the Senate we now to have to take up the last and most important step and reach an agreement on a final reform bill that I can sign into law," he said. "I look forward to working with members of Congress in both chambers⁵ over the coming weeks to do exactly that."

The House and Senate versions agree on core principles.  In a country where most medical care is provided by the private sector⁶, both mandate⁷ health insurance for all.   They also set new rules for insurance companies and provide subsidies⁸ to some Americans to help cover the cost of coverage⁹.

But while both the House and Senate bills aim to help the roughly 30 million Americans with no health care insurance, there are big differences in legislative¹⁰ language.  The House wants a government-run health insurance plan to compete with private insurers.  The Senate does not.

Negotiations¹¹ on compromise legislation will begin in January after Congress and the president return to Washington after the holiday break.

The Obama family will be spending Christmas in Hawaii - the president's home state.  They left the White House shortly after the Senate vote, and plan to return to Washington on January 3.
 

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

8 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

10 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。

11 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。