2006年VOA标准英语-Democrats in New Congress Seek to Make Mark on

By Deborah Tate
Washington
13 November 2006

Emboldened¹ by their electoral victories that gave them majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, congressional Democrats³ are hammering out their agenda for next year. Deborah Tate files a background report looking at how the shift in power on Capitol Hill may impact U.S. foreign policy, and in particular, the war in Iraq.

Although domestic issues traditionally decide midterm elections, foreign policy appeared to drive this year's contest to a large extent.

"The people in America want change," said Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat². "They are not happy with what is happening overseas in Iraq."

Public opinion polls show that this month's election was in large part a referendum on the Bush administration and its policy toward Iraq.

When they take control of Congress next year, Democrats are vowing⁴ to press the administration to change course in Iraq. Although many Democrats are divided on how to proceed, a number of prominent Democrats are urging a phased U.S. troop withdrawal⁵ in an effort to press the Iraqis to take more responsibility for ensuring the security and stability of their country.

Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, is to become chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in January.

"Most Democrats share the view that we should pressure the White House to commence the phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq in four to six months, to begin these redeployments, and thereby⁶ to make it clear to the Iraqis that our presence is not open-ended, and that they must take the necessary political compromises to preserve Iraq as a nation," he said. "We cannot save the Iraqis from themselves."

Some Republicans agree with that approach, but not all of them.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, a member of the Armed Services Committee, advocates increasing U.S. troop strength in Iraq. He spoke⁷ on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday.

"There are some who say we can stabilize⁸ the situation and withdraw gradually," he said. "I do not accept that. I think that what is going to happen is that as you withdraw, you will see sectarian violence increase, you will see involvement by Iran and Syria, and I think you will see a serious situation."

The Bush administration has expressed concern about a U.S. withdrawal from the country before a stable, secure Iraq is established, saying that could leave a failed state that is a haven⁹ for terrorists and a threat to the region.

"I do not think we need a lot more pressure on the Iraqis to help them do what they need to do," said Josh Bolton, White House chief of staff, who spoke on ABC's This Week program. "Sure, we are all saying the Iraqis need to step up and get their own situation under control. It is a sovereign government. We need to treat them as a sovereign government. But we also need to give them the support they need to succeed."

Many Democrats argue they are not advocating an immediate¹⁰ and total withdrawal from Iraq. They also say they do not plan to cut off funding for U.S. troops serving in Iraq.

The White House underscores the point that even though Democrats will be in the majority in Congress beginning in January, they will have limited ability to control defense¹¹ and foreign policy issues. Under the U.S. Constitution, the president commands the armed forces and oversees¹² diplomacy¹³ with other nations.

But in the aftermath of his Republican Party's electoral defeats in Congress, President Bush has signaled a willingness to look at another way forward in Iraq.

"I am open to any ideas that will help us achieve our goals of defeating the terrorists, and ensuring that Iraq's democratic government succeeds," he said.

Robert Gates

Toward that end, he has nominated former Central Intelligence Agency director Bob Gates to replace Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Gates, who faces a Senate confirmation¹⁴ vote next month, has served on the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which is expected to recommend proposals that news reports say could offer President Bush a way to change tactics in Iraq.

While Democrats hope to influence Iraq policy in the future, they also plan to hold hearings to look back at decisions made by the administration in the run-up to the war and in the prosecution¹⁵ of the war.

"The success of the war in Iraq and the success in the war against terrorism will come only if we make good decisions," said Senator Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat. "To date, those who have made those decisions about both have not been held accountable for, in some cases, some very major mistakes."

The Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committees plan hearings on the administration's handling of Iraq.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to conduct hearings into the Justice Department's conduct in the fight against terrorism, from secret searches to wiretaps to the treatment of terrorism detainees.

On other foreign policy matters, Democrats may urge the Bush administration to drop its opposition¹⁶ to holding direct talks with its adversaries¹⁷, such as Iran, North Korea and Syria. Senator Joe Biden, who is to become chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee next year, has long argued that the administration's reluctance¹⁸ to talk to Iran and Syria has hurt efforts toward ending the violence in Iraq.

1 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

5 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

6 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

9 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 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。

12 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

13 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

14 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

15 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。

16 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

17 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

18 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。