2006年VOA标准英语-Raid Controversy Has Roots in US Constitut

By Jim Malone
Washington
01 June 2006

A controversy¹ over federal agents raiding the office of a congressman² has its roots in the formation of the U.S. Constitution more than 200 years ago.

The controversy involves Congressman William Jefferson, a Democrat³ from Louisiana.

Jefferson is the subject of a federal bribery⁴ investigation⁵ that involves the promotion⁶ of business interests in West Africa.  He denies any wrongdoing.

What has upset members of Congress from both parties is an FBI raid on Congressman Jefferson's Washington office on May 20.

 
William Jefferson 
  
Republican James Sensenbrenner chairs the House Judiciary Committee.  He says the FBI raid on a congressman's office violates a central tenet of the U.S. Constitution known as the separation of powers.

"The separation of powers and the checks and balances were put into our Constitution by the framers to make sure that no person or no branch of government got too powerful," said Mr. Sensenbrenner.

In the early days of the American Republic, the revolutionaries who won independence from Britain were determined⁷ not to replace a powerful English monarch⁸ with an equally potent⁹ American president.

So the founders¹⁰ devised a system of separate powers whereby the Congress made the laws, the executive branch, led by the president, enforced the laws, and the judicial¹¹ branch, led by the Supreme¹² Court, interpreted the laws to make sure they conformed with powers set forth¹³ in the U.S. Constitution.

Lawmakers upset with the FBI raid on Congressman Jefferson's office are concerned with what they view as an attempt by the executive branch, in the form of the Justice Department, to intimidate¹⁴ a member of the legislative¹⁵ branch.

Charles Tiefer is a law professor at the University of Baltimore in Maryland.  He testified at a recent hearing called by members of Congress angry about the search of Congressman Jefferson's office.

"Now this raid had all the elements of unconstitutional executive intimidation," he said.

Another witness, George Washington University law Professor Jonathan Turley, said the office search represented a break in tradition that goes back 219 years to the formation of the Constitution in 1787.

"But there has been a tradition of mutual¹⁶ respect and mutual restraint between the branches.  What occurred on that Saturday night shattered that tradition," he noted¹⁷.

But not everyone sees the Jefferson raid as a violation¹⁸ of the Constitution.

The Senate Republican leader, Bill Frist of Tennessee, spoke¹⁹ on Fox television.

"If there are accusations²⁰ of bribery, of having lost the trust, abused the trust of the American people, criminal activity, no House member, no senator, nobody in government should be above the law of the land, period," said Mr. Frist.

Some members of Congress have urged President Bush to order the Justice Department to return the documents seized from Congressman Jefferson's office.

The Washington Post reported that some high level Justice Department officials signaled they might resign if the White House forced the return of documents.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says his department has the right to investigate allegations of corruption²¹ in Congress and is respectful of the separation of powers.  

 
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales 
  
"Personally, in the department collectively, we have a great deal of respect for the Congress as a co-equal branch of government, as a separate and independent branch of government," said Mr. Gonzales.

Congressman Sensenbrenner says he intends to call Attorney General Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller to testify about the Jefferson case before his committee.

In the meantime, President Bush has ordered the materials seized in the raid sealed for 45 days in hopes that the Justice Department and House leaders can work out their differences over the case.

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 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。

3 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。

4 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

5 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。

6 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

9 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

10 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

11 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

12 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

13 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

14 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

15 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

16 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

17 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

18 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

19 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。

20 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

21 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。