2006年VOA标准英语-US Senate Votes for Immigration Reform Bill

By Deborah Tate
Washington
25 May 2006

The U.S. Senate has approved (by a 62 to 36 vote) sweeping¹ immigration reform legislation that strengthens border security and establishes a guest worker program for the millions of illegal immigrants in the United States. But the fate of the measure remains³ unclear, as it must be reconciled with a vastly different bill passed by the House of Representatives.

The Senate bill calls for tougher border security enforcement to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States through such proposals as hiring of thousands of new border patrol agents and the construction of a 600-kilometer fence along part of the U.S.-Mexican border.

The measure also contains provisions to deal with the 11 to 12 million undocumented workers already in the country by setting up a guest worker program and offering many of them a path to U.S. citizenship⁴ if they meet several conditions -- including paying a fine and learning English.

It also would establish a new system to verify the legal status of workers and punish employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Senator Ted² Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat⁵, helped draft the legislation: "This is the most far-reaching immigration reform in our history. It is a comprehensive and realistic attempt to solve the real-world problems that have festered for too long in our broken immigration system. It strengthens our security and reflects our humanity," he said.

But passage of the bill came despite opposition⁶ from conservative Republicans who say the provision offering illegal immigrants an opportunity to pursue U.S. citizenship amounts to amnesty.

Senator Jeff Sessions is an Alabama Republican: "We should not give those who violate our laws to get here every single right that we give to people who wait in line and come lawfully⁷. That is a very important moral and legal principle," he said.

Many in the Republican majority in the House of Representatives agree, and are vowing⁸ to fight the legislation from becoming law.

Supporters of the Senate bill are concerned about its fate, as it must be reconciled with much tougher House-passed legislation, which does not include the guest worker program, but does contain a provision that would designate illegal immigrants felons⁹.

Senator Harry¹⁰ Reid of Nevada is the Senate's top Democrat, "For all the good work we have done here in the past two weeks, it can be eliminated in a heartbeat when we go to conference with the House," he said.

But that is exactly what Republican conservatives, including Reid's colleague from Nevada, Senator John Ensign, are hoping for. "I am hopeful that the House will save us from this bill," he said.

One key supporter of the Senate bill, Senator John McCain of Arizona -- a state which borders Mexico - expressed hope that a compromise can be reached between the House and Senate versions that will be compassionate¹¹ toward the millions of undocumented workers in the country. "These people have come for the very same reason immigrants have always come to America: they came to grasp the lowest rung of the ladder and they intend to rise. Let them rise, let them rise. We will be better for it. For America, blessed, bountiful, beautiful America, is still land of hope and opportunity, the land of immigrants' dreams. Long may she remain so," he said.

McCain is one of several Senate Republicans reaching out to their House colleagues in search of a compromise.

McCain notes that Congressman¹² Mike Pence, an Indiana Republican and leader of the conservative caucus¹³ in the House, has proposed a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to become guest workers, although they would not be allowed to become permanent residents or citizens.

President Bush, who also supports the guest worker proposal, has called on Congress to include such a provision in immigration reform legislation.

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 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。

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 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 lawfully   

adv.守法地，合法地；合理地

参考例句：

• Lawfully established contracts shall be protected by law. 依法成立的合同应受法律保护。 来自口语例句
• As my lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death parts us. 当成是我的合法丈夫，无论疾病灾难，直到死亡把我们分开。 来自电影对白

8 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。

9 felons   

n.重罪犯( felon的名词复数 )；瘭疽；甲沟炎；指头脓炎

参考例句：

• Aren't those the seats they use for transporting convicted felons? 这些坐位不是他们用来押运重犯的吗？ 来自电影对白
• House Republicans talk of making felons out of the undocumented and those who help them. 众议院共和党议员正商议对未登记的非法移民以及包庇他们的人课以重罪。 来自互联网

10 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。

11 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

12 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

13 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。