2006年VOA标准英语-US Senate Sidetracks Immigration Reform Bi

By Deborah Tate
07 April 2006

Sweeping¹ immigration reform legislation hit a roadblock in the U.S. Senate Friday, when a series of procedural votes failed to move the measure forward.  Senate leaders hope work will resume on the bill when lawmakers return from a two-week recess², but its fate remains³ unclear. 

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At issue is a bill that would tighten⁴ border security, establish a temporary guest worker program, and offer many of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States a path to citizenship⁵, if they met a number of conditions.

 
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, flanked by Republican Senators Chuck Hagel, left, and Mel Martinez 
  

In two procedural votes, the Senate fell short of the 60 votes needed to move the legislation forward.  Republicans and Democrats⁷ blamed one another for the stalemate.

Republican conservatives who opposed the measure -- arguing it would promise citizenship to those who came to the United States illegally -- wanted to amend⁸ the bill.   But Democrats blocked such attempts, saying they were aimed at gutting⁹ the bill.

"Keep in mind, the people who would be allowed to offer amendments¹¹ are people who hate the bill," said Senator Harry¹² Reid of Nevada, the Senate's top Democrat⁶, at a news conference.

"The Democratic leadership, by putting a stranglehold on the amendment¹⁰ and debate process, [is] causing us to postpone¹³ a very important issue,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist at a separate news conference, “and that is addressing our border security."

(from left) Democratic Senators Patrick Leahy, Minority Leader Harry Reid, Ken¹⁴ Salazar, and Richard Durbin  
  
Some lawmakers, including Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, are concerned that the Senate has lost a good opportunity to deal with immigration, which most Americans agree needs to be reformed. "It is going to be a tough uphill battle now,” he said, “with the limited time we have in this session."

But Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, vows¹⁵ to bring up immigration reform at his panel's first hearing after the congressional break, to keep the issue alive.  "There is no doubt that there is urgency to protect our borders, to make sure we do not have terrorists crossing the borders, to make sure we do not have criminals crossing the borders,” he said, “and to take care of the economic needs of the country on immigrant workers, and to do something, which makes sense for the 11-million undocumented workers."

But what to do about those undocumented workers who are already here is a subject that is dividing Republicans this year, when many lawmakers will be seeking re-election. Many Republicans, including President Bush, support a “guest worker” program, which many members of the party's conservative base oppose. In addition, Republicans are concerned about alienating¹⁶ the growing and increasingly influential¹⁷ Hispanic electorate¹⁸.

The issue has galvanized the Hispanic community, prompting hundreds of thousands to take to the streets of major U.S. cities to protest a tough immigration reform bill passed by the House of Representatives last year, which calls for designating undocumented workers "felons," and building a wall along portions of the U.S.-Mexican border.

Another day of demonstrations¹⁹ is planned Monday.

Any bill that is approved by the Senate will have to be reconciled with the House measure, which does not include a guest worker program, before it is sent to President Bush for signature. 

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

5 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

6 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。

7 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》

8 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

9 gutting   

n.去内脏v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的现在分词 )；取出…的内脏

参考例句：

10 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

11 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

12 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。

13 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

14 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

15 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

16 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

17 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

18 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

19 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。