Obama says healthcare law "needs a tweak"

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday that his signature healthcare law is not perfect and "needs a tweak," but it does not mean "refight the battles of the last two years.""I believe that anything can be improved. As we work to implement¹ it, there are going to be times where we say, you know what, this needs a tweak, this isn't working exactly as intended, exactly the way we want," Obama said at Families USA Health Action conference in Washington, D.C.
    He was basically echoing what he said in the State of the Union address Tuesday night, when he promised to work with Republicans（共和党） to improve the law but offered few details on how to make it better.
    "I'm willing to work with anyone, Republican or Democrat², to make care better or to make their health care more affordable," he reiterated（重申）.
    One of the most likely things that may gain bipartisan support in redoing the reform law is a tax-reporting provision deeply unpopular with business.
    "I've even suggested we begin by correcting what was a legitimate³ concern, a flaw, in the legislation that placed unnecessary bookkeeping burdens on small businesses," he said.
    Obama also said he is open to ideas including patient safety innovations and medical malpractice reform.
    Republicans have been vowing⁴ to "repeal⁵ and replace" the healthcare law, which Obama signed in March last year. They have already pushed the repeal bill through the House of Representatives, where they recaptured control in November's midterm elections. But the bill is almost surely to die in the Senate, which is still in the hands of Democrats⁶.
    "I am not willing to just refight the battles of the last two years. I'm not open to efforts that will take this law apart without considering the lives and the livelihoods⁷ that hang in the balance," said the president.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

4 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

5 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

6 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》

7 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。