Possible Compromise in Works over US Debt Limit

 　　President Barack Obama says a proposal by a group of Republican and Democratic senators represents a significant step toward a possible compromise on cutting government deficit¹ spending and raising the debt ceiling.

　　Speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, Mr. Obama said his most recent talks with congressional leaders produced some progress and "some narrowing of the issues."

　　Saying time is running out and negotiations² are "in the 11th hour" he described the new plan by the so-called "Gang of Six" senators as a very significant step with the potential for getting the sides closer to a compromise. "What it says is we have got to be serious about reducing discretionary spending, both in  domestic spending and defense³, we have got to be serious about tackling health care spending and entitlements in a serious way, and we have got to have some additional revenue," he said.

　　Mr. Obama said the White House had just received the plan, which he also described as a "framework".  While some of its details might not match perfectly⁴ with some of his approaches, he said "we are in the same playing field."

　　The president said he hopes that on Wednesday, congressional leaders will be ready to get down to the hard business of crafting a plan for cutting deficits⁵ and raising the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.

　　At the same time, the president said there is a need to keep a backup plan that the Senate minority and majority leaders, Harry⁶ Reid and Mitch McConnell, were working on if a broader agreement is not reached.

　　In discussing his hope that the plan by the small bipartisan group of senators can lead to a compromise, Mr. Obama referred to what he called the need to put political posturing⁷ aside. "We don't have any more time to engage in symbolic⁸ gestures, we don't have any more time to posture⁹, it's time to get down to the business of actually solving this problem," he said.

　　Mr. Obama said a lot of difficult negotiations lie ahead, adding that just because the White House might agree in principle with the framework from the bipartisan Senate group, a broader agreement will be required with a tight deadline facing everyone.

1 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。

2 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。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

8 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

9 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。