白宫敦促延长失业救济金

 　　白宫敦促延长失业救济金

　　WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The White House on Wednesday urged lawmakers to extend unemployment benefits for millions of unemployed¹ Americans, its latest pitch to ratchet up pressure for Congress to pass legislation to renew the benefits.

　　"This New Year's Day, there is likely less joy and more fear and distress² in the homes of 1.3 million Americans who this week have seen their unemployment insurance suddenly cut off -- a vital lifeline that these Americans depend on as they fight to find a job," Gene³ Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, said in a statement.

　　"There would be no better New Year's resolution for Congress to make today than to commit to making the first new legislation for the new year the restoration of emergency unemployment insurance for those who have this week just been cut off," said Sperling.

　　Approximately 1.3 million workers currently receiving extended unemployment insurance (UI) benefits lost them as the program expired on Dec. 28. About 3.6 million additional people will lose access to UI benefits beyond 26 weeks by the end of 2014 if Congress fails to act, the White House figures showed.

　　Unemployed Americans can get 26 weeks of state-paid unemployment benefits, and the length of the benefits has been extended in 2008 after the onset⁴ of the financial crisis with the financial help of the federal government. The federal government- funded extra assistance UI program has been repeatedly extended in past years.

　　"Failing to extend emergency unemployment insurance through 2014 will negatively impact 14 million Americans -- the 4.9 million workers who will see unemployment insurance cut off and the approximately 9 million additional family members they are supporting. But if Congress does the right thing and acts to extend emergency unemployment benefits through 2014, it is estimated to lead to 200,000 jobs and a fifth of a point of additional economic growth," he added.

　　Senate Majority Leader Harry⁵ Reid has said that the upper chamber⁶ is scheduled to vote Monday on a three-month extension of federal government-funded jobless benefits.

　　President Barack Obama strongly supports Majority Leader Harry Reid's commitment to bring the bipartisan bill for a vote the very first day the Senate returns on Jan. 6, Sperling said.

1 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

2 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

3 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

4 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

5 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。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。