2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Authorizes Fence for US-Mexico Border

By Paula Wolfson
White House
04 October 2006

U.S. President George Bush has signed legislation that provides roughly $1.2 billion for fencing and other enhanced security measures along the border with Mexico. 

-------

		Appropriations1 Act, Oct. 4, 2006" src="/upimg/allimg/070429/1414060.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> George Bush speaks in Scottsdale, Arizona where he signed Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, Oct. 4, 2006

Illegal immigration is a highly emotional issue in Arizona.  And so it came as no surprise the president signed the legislation there, surrounded by local officials.

"The bill I sign helps address one of the central issues facing all states, but particularly the state of Arizona, and that is illegal immigration," Mr. Bush said.  "I understand full well that illegal immigration puts pressure on the public schools and hospitals. It strains state and local budgets.  In some communities, it increases crime."

The White House had hoped for a wide-raging immigration reform bill.  Instead, the U.S. Congress approved money to erect² fencing in some of the most porous³ border areas and added it to legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security. 

The measure also provides more money to hire extra border agents, develop technology, and build additional detention⁴ facilities for those caught entering the country illegally.

"It is what the people of this country want.  They want to know that we are modernizing⁵ the border so we can secure the border," the president added.

But even as he signed the measure into law, the president made clear he wants Congress to revisit the matter.  He said the nation needs comprehensive immigration reform legislation that includes a temporary-guest worker program.

"The funds that Congress has appropriated are critical for our efforts to secure this border and enforce our laws," he said.  "Yet we must also recognize that enforcement alone is not going to work."

But there are deep divides in Congress on just how to handle the immigration issue.  Many members of the president's own party in the House of Representatives oppose a guest-worker program.  In the Senate, there is more support for comprehensive reform.  But in recent debate, Democrat⁷ Ted⁶ Kennedy said Republican lawmakers do not have the will to take on anti-immigrant forces.

"The fence bill is a clear indication of the abdication⁸ of the Congress of the United States to deal responsibly with the whole challenge of immigration," said Mr. Kennedy.

Senator Kennedy said pushing money for the fence is only a campaign ploy⁹ and not a real solution to the problem.

1 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

2 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

3 porous   

adj.可渗透的，多孔的

参考例句：

• He added sand to the soil to make it more porous.他往土里掺沙子以提高渗水性能。
• The shell has to be slightly porous to enable oxygen to pass in.外壳不得不有些细小的孔以便能使氧气通过。

4 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

5 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

6 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

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 abdication   

n.辞职；退位

参考例句：

• The officers took over and forced his abdication in 1947.1947年军官们接管了政权并迫使他退了位。
• Abdication is precluded by the lack of a possible successor.因为没有可能的继承人，让位无法实现。

9 ploy   

n.花招，手段

参考例句：

• I think this is just a government ploy to deceive the public.我认为这只是政府欺骗公众的手段。
• Christmas should be a time of excitement and wonder,not a cynical marketing ploy.圣诞节应该是兴奋和美妙的时刻，而不该是一种肆无忌惮的营销策略。