VOA慢速英语2014 共和党人承诺在移民问题上的对抗奥巴马

 

AS IT IS 2014-11-22 Republicans Promise to Fight Obama on Immigration

Republican Party lawmakers are promising¹ to fight President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration. The order protects millions of people who have been living in the United States illegally. The president’s announcement immediately angered Republicans in the U.S. Congress. 

The order temporarily blocks expulsion of some undocumented immigrants from the United States and gives them work permits. But the immigrants must have been living in the country longer than five years. They also must pass a criminal investigation³ and have U.S.-born children.

Republicans were angry about the move even before President Obama made the official announcement. They say the president should not have acted alone. They say the Constitution requires Congress to pass laws – not the president.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, will become the powerful Senate Majority Leader in January. That is because Republicans won control of the Senate in recent elections. Senator McConnell accused the president of ignoring those election results.

“If President Obama acts in defiance⁴ of the people and imposes his will on the country, Congress will act. We’re considering a variety of options. But make no mistake. Make no mistake. When the newly elected representatives of the people take their seats, they will act.”

A number of Republicans accused Mr. Obama of preparing an illegal amnesty and abusing his presidential powers. Among them is John Cornyn, a U.S. Senator from the state of Texas, which borders on Mexico.

“Now I can understand that he (Mr. Obama) can prioritize prosecution⁵ and deportation⁶, and he has.  But where does the president get the authority to issue work permits for millions of people? “

But a number of Democratic Party lawmakers praised the president for what they termed his courage. They said he is supporting family values by stopping families from being torn apart. 

Senator Dick Durbin is a Democrat⁷ from Illinois. He rejected charges that the executive order is amnesty.

“Doing nothing, leaving the current system in place, is amnesty.  What the president is calling for is accountability.”

In his speech to the nation, the president said what he is describing in the executive order is a common-sense approach. Congressional expert Thomas Mann does not think there is much Republicans can do to fight the order. 

“The only way they can undo² these orders in a practical way is to win the next presidential election. If they win it, their president can withdraw those executive orders, and if the party wants to go with that position, they can.”

James Thurber teaches at the American University in Washington, D.C. He has written about Congress and the presidency⁸.

“He obviously is thinking, ‘Well, the Republicans have not done anything. They probably will not do anything. I’m going to get criticized for this anyway. But I want to do the right thing. It will be part of my legacy⁹.”

Many Hispanic Americans are welcoming the executive order. Twenty-three-year-old Diana Ramos was born in Mexico. She says the action will help her parents. They lack legal permission to live in the United States. But they have children who were born here.

“This brings a lot of hope for my family that we won’t have to live with fear anymore.”

Texas has a large Hispanic population. In Houston, Jesus Mejia says he is pleased with the president. Mr. Mejia is an immigrant from Guatemala. He says it is humane¹⁰ to understand the situation of a migrant who came to the United States because of necessity.

Teresa is a U.S. citizen who came from Ecuador. She says President Obama is delaying lasting¹¹ immigration reform by not working with Congress. She says the president and Congress should both agree to produce a helpful plan. And she worries about migrants who might be criminals staying in the U.S.

Words in This Story

executive – adj., responsible for making sure laws are carried out and for managing the affairs of a nation or state

immigration – n., coming to a country to live

impose – v., to establish or create something unwanted in a forceful or harmful way

options – n., the opportunity or ability to choose something or to choose between two or more things

amnesty – n., a decision that a group of people will not be punished or that prisoners will be allowed to go free

prioritize – v., to organize (things ) so that the most important thing is done or dealt with first

prosecution – n., the act or process of holding a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person if guilty

deportation – n., the forcing of a person who is not a citizen to leave the country

accountability – n., the requirement to explain action or decisions to someone

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

5 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

6 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

7 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。

8 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

9 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

10 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

11 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。