Obama Enters Talks on US Debt, Spending Cuts

　　With a little more than a month until a deadline to raise the nation's debt limit, President Barack Obama met on Monday with the top U.S. Senate Democratic and Republican leaders to try to narrow differences in long-running talks on reducing government deficit² spending and raising the government's borrowing limit.

　　The president met for about half an hour in the morning with Senate Majority Leader, Democrat¹ Harry³ Reid, who left without speaking to reporters.  Senate Minority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell came later in the day and also made no immediate⁴ comments to the media.

　　At a White House news briefing, Press Secretary Jay Carney quoted Mr. Obama as saying "everyone in the room" believes that a significant deficit reduction deal "remains⁵ possible," but that such a deal will require tough choices by Democrats⁶ and Republicans.

　　"If everyone is willing to abandon the 'my way or the highway' [my way only] approach to accept that compromise on behalf of the American people requires touch choices, we can get significant deficit reduction done this year," said Carney.

　　Carney said the president and his fellow Democrats have shown themselves willing to make touch choices, but that Republicans need to "take on some of their sacred cows" [be willing to modify their positions on issues they consider important], citing Republican resistance on ways to increase government revenue.

　　Vice⁷ President Joe Biden led several rounds of negotiations⁸, trying to reach a compromise on reducing government spending.  Republicans withdrew from the talks last week and the talks are now suspended.

　　The bigger picture includes an August 2 deadline to raise the government's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.  Any compromise agreement would have to give Congress time to act ahead of that date.

　　Raising the debt limit always sparks intense partisan⁹ debate in Congress.  But lawmakers have voted to do so several times over the decades, under Democratic and Republican presidents.

　　The Obama administration and economists¹⁰ say failure to raise the borrowing limit and a potential government default on obligations amid a weak economic recovery could push the U.S. economy back into recession.

　　Republicans want to reduce government spending in an amount equal to any increase in the debt limit.  President Obama's proposals include eliminating tax subsidies¹¹ for oil and gas companies, and limiting tax deductions¹² for wealthier Americans.

　　Senator McConnell has repeated the Republican position that raising taxes will not resolve the deficit problem and will not pass in Congress.  On the Senate floor before his Monday meeting with the president, he said that any proposal for tax increases or spending increases linked to the debt ceiling should be  "taken off the table"

　　"Not only are they counterproductive from the standpoint of an economic recovery, they are also politically impossible, since Republicans oppose tax hikes and Democrats have already shown that they won't raise taxes in a down economy either," said McConnell.

　　After meeting with President Obama last week, Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen asserted that Republicans are placing the economy at serious risk where the debt ceiling is concerned.

　　"These people are playing with fire and really putting the very fragile economy at greater threat by playing the games that we have been seeing," said Van Hollen.

　　White House spokesman Carney on Monday reiterated¹³ a key administration talking point that "significant progress" was made in negotiations that went into "abeyance¹⁴" after key Republicans withdrew last week.

　　Carney called it important not to "test" the broadly-held view that a government default would be "calamitous¹⁵."  And he repeated the White House view that Republican deficit cutting proposals have not been balanced.

　　The president's spokesman said nothing about a possible joint¹⁶ negotiating session that Mr. Obama might have in addition to his one-on-one talks with key congressional leaders.

1 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。

2 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

3 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

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 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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》

12 deductions   

扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演

参考例句：

• Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现，而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
• You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促，毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。

13 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

14 abeyance   

n.搁置，缓办，中止，产权未定

参考例句：

• The question is in abeyance until we know more about it.问题暂时搁置，直到我们了解更多有关情况再行研究。
• The law was held in abeyance for well over twenty years.这项法律被搁置了二十多年。

15 calamitous   

adj.灾难的，悲惨的；多灾多难；惨重

参考例句：

• We are exposed to the most calamitous accidents. 我们遭受着极大的灾难。 来自辞典例句
• Light reveals the subtle alteration of things, the sly or calamitous impermanence or mortal life. 事物的细微变动，人生的狡猾，倏忽无常，一一都在光中显露出来。 来自辞典例句

16 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。