2006年VOA标准英语-US House Prepares for Marathon Debate on Iraq P

By Dan Robinson
Washington
14 June 2006

The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing for a major debate Thursday on Iraq, with high political stakes for Republicans as well as Democrats² amid a continuing national debate on the war there.

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With President Bush enjoying some improvement in his public approval ratings after his surprise visit to Baghdad and the killing³ of the former al-Qaida leader in Iraq Musab al-Zarqawi, majority Republicans want to keep the focus of the debate on successes rather than mistakes and miscalculations.

"We're going to talk about the long-term war on terrorism and radical⁴ Islam. We're going to put this in the context that I think the American people need to understand," said Republican Congressman⁵ Pete Hoekstra, who heads the House Intelligence Committee.

"One of the main points of the resolution is that there should not be an arbitrary departure date for American forces," noted⁶ Republican Duncan Hunter, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee.

In addition to rejecting any timetable for withdrawal⁷ or redeployment of U.S. troops, a Republican-crafted resolution states that the United States will prevail in the global war on terrorism. It also praises U.S. military forces.

Because of its strong language supporting U.S. troops, only the most ardent⁸ anti-war Democrats are likely to vote against the resolution, with some refusing to take part in the debate. "I do not want to participate in anything that would mislead the American people as to what is taking place on the floor," said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat¹ from the state of Hawaii.

While most Democrats share the view that the Republican-organized debate amounts to a public relations exercise, they do intend to participate to make some key points regarding Iraq.

Ike Skelton   
  
Ike Skelton, top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, accuses Republicans of attempting to avoid what he and other Democrats say should be a free and honest debate. "The resolution confuses the war in Iraq and the war on terror. It does not give the American people the real debate that we were promised about our policy in Iraq and how we should move forward," he said.

For members of both main political parties, the stakes are high with control of Congress in the balance in this November's mid-term legislative⁹ election.

Republicans hope the recent good news from Iraq will lead to a lasting¹⁰ upward trend in their own prospects¹¹ and for President Bush, whose approval ratings still hover¹² in the 30 percent range.

Democrats, meanwhile, want to be seen as supportive of U.S. troops, nearly 2,500 of whom have died in Iraq, while laying out an alternative plan.

And some Democrats worry about potential political damage from visible divisions on Iraq, such as senator and potential 2008 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's opposition¹³ to any withdrawal timetable, and unsuccessful presidential contender John Kerry's position. "I believe we need a hard and fast deadline, not an open-ended commitment of U.S. forces, so that we shift responsibility and demand responsibility from Iraqis themselves," Kerry said.

In a news conference, President Bush recognized the politics involved in the debate. "Admittedly there are a group of people in our country that say it wasn't worth it, get out now. And that opinion is being expressed, as these [political] campaigns start approaching, you will hear more people say, I suspect, it was a mistake, Bush shouldn't have done what he did. Pull out. And that is a legitimate¹⁴ debate to have in America, and I look forward to that debate," he said.

The debate in the House [of Representatives] is likely to last all day Thursday. Iraq may also be a key focus in the Senate, which is considering a defense¹⁵ spending authorization¹⁶ bill, and separate emergency legislation providing billions of dollars for U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

1 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。

2 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》

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。

8 ardent   

adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的

参考例句：

• He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
• Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。

9 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。

10 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

11 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

12 hover   

vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫

参考例句：

• You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
• A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。

13 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。

14 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

15 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。

16 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。