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A group of Democratic and Republican senators have begun drafting legislation that would require Iraq to fund more of the war costs that Americans are now paying.

一些民主党和共和党议员开始起草一项法案，要求伊拉克承担更多的现在由美国承担的战争费用。

Three members of the Senate Armed Services Committee told a news conference Thursday that Iraq should begin paying some of the costs of the war and reconstruction² of the country.

参议院武装部队委员会的三名成员星期四召开记者会表示，伊拉克应当开始支付伊拉克的战争跟重建的部分费用。

They note that Iraq has a budget surplus as a result of the rising price of its oil exports, while the United States is grappling with budget deficits³ and other economic problems.

他们指出，由于出口石油价格不断增长，伊拉克现在有预算盈余，而美国则在跟预算赤字和其他经济问题作斗争。

"It is time now for Iraq to assume responsibility for its future with its own investments. Real investment in its own infrastructure⁴ and national security. The American public is growing weary of financing every aspect of Iraq's future, from combat operations to electricity grids⁵ and highways," said Senator Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat¹.

来自内布拉斯加州的民主党参议院纳尔逊说：“现在是伊拉克通过投资为她自己的前途承担责任的时候了。伊拉克需要在自己的基础设施和国家安全方面进行真正的投资。美国公众已经厌倦了给伊拉克未来的每个方面提供资助，从作战运行到电力网到公路建设。”

"The blank check written by the American taxpayers⁶ to the government of Iraq must stop," said Senator Evan Bayh, an Indiana Democrat.

来自印第安纳州的民主党参议员贝赫的言词则更为直截了当。他说：“美国纳税人开空白支票给伊拉克政府的情况必须结束。”

The senators are considering attaching the legislation to a war-funding bill expected to be debated by Congress in the coming weeks. The bill calls for more than $100 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

这些参议员在考虑把这一议案附加在国会在未来几个星期将要辩论审议的一个战争费用的法案上。那个法案将要求国会提供一千多亿美元的资金用于伊拉克和阿富汗的战争。

Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, says she and the other senators are working with the Defense⁷ and State Departments to identify costs that could be paid by the Iraqis. "I do not believe that it is unfair in any way to ask the Iraqi people to begin shouldering more of the costs of rebuilding their own country."

来自缅因州的共和党参议员柯林斯说，她和其他参议员正在跟国防部和国务院协商，以便认定哪些费用可以由伊拉克方面承担。她说：“我不认为要求伊拉克人民开始承担更多的重建他们自己国家的费用是不公平的。”

The lawmakers suggested the cost of some of the weapons, the training of Iraqi troops, and the salaries of security forces known as Sons of Iraq, could be among those paid by Iraqis, either directly or through loans.

这些参议员提出，某些武器的费用，以及训练伊拉克军队，还有伊拉克保安力量人员的工资可以由伊拉克方面直接或通过贷款来负担。

At a Senate hearing Wednesday, White House Budget Director Jim Nussle said the Bush administration would be open to considering having Iraqis pay more of the war costs.

在星期三举行的一次参议院听证会上，白宫预算办公室主任纳斯尔说，布什行政当局愿意考虑让伊拉克人承担更多的战争费用。