2006年VOA标准英语-US Lawmakers Continue Work on Immigration Refor

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
28 June 2006

Several U.S. lawmakers are working behind the scenes to try to forge a compromise between very different plans for immigration reform passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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The House and Senate have passed widely differing proposals for overhauling¹ the nation's immigration system.

The Senate bill - which President Bush supports - includes a guest worker program that would give many illegal immigrants in the United States the opportunity to pursue citizenship² if they meet certain conditions.  It also includes border security provisions.

The House bill, by contrast, emphasizes border security - and proposes building a fence along much of the U.S.-Mexican border.   The House measure does not include a guest worker program.

Supporters of the Senate bill say any immigration reform bill must include a guest worker plan to address the 11 to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

But those who back the House measure generally oppose a guest worker program, arguing it amounts to amnesty.

For weeks it looked as though compromise was impossible.
 

Mike Pence  
  
Now a Republican Congressman³ from Indiana, Mike Pence, is working on a proposal that includes border security measures of the House bill, but instead of offering a path to citizenship like the Senate bill, would require those in the United States illegally to apply for a work visa outside the United States.  Private companies would issue work visas and conduct background checks of workers.

“If you return home and apply for the right to be in the United States of America, that does not involve amnesty because you are applying for the visa outside the United States of America,” said Mike Pence.

Congressman Pence was invited to the White House by President Bush to personally explain the idea.

“I call it a no-amnesty, guest-worker program,” he said. “The president listened intently.  He told me he was intrigued⁴ with my proposal.  He said he found it interesting.”

Senator Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, offered a similar proposal in the Senate - one that was ultimately rejected.   

Johnny Isakson    
  
Isakson - who voted against the Senate bill with its guest worker proposal -- believes his idea has been gaining support among Senators and would pass if it came to another vote.

“Once there is an acceptance that we are going to secure the border first, then a lot of things can be negotiated,” said Johnny Isakson. “But in the absence of that, I do not think you will ever have comprehensive reform.”

Even some Senators who backed the Senate bill and guest worker provision are suggesting they would be willing to agree to a plan under which goals related to border security are met before a guest worker program can begin.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, who helped draft the Senate bill, says the measure would - in practice - put border security ahead of the guest worker plan because it would take much longer to establish a program dealing⁵ with guest workers.

That is essentially⁶ what White House spokesman Tony Snow says.  He reiterated⁷ the President's support for immigration reform that includes a guest worker program, while noting Mr. Bush has deployed⁸ National Guard troops at the border with Mexico and citing progress in the training of border patrol guards.

“We already have the border security piece first, it's underway,” said Tony Snow. “The President wants to make sure that you have comprehensive reform, period.”

But compromise may still prove elusive⁹, as there are some Republicans who say they will never agree to a guest worker program.

Senator John Cornyn is a Texas Republican:

“Frankly, I am pretty firm in my opinion right now that the pathway to citizenship for somebody who came here illegally is not negotiable,” he said.

Still, House Majority Leader John Boehner remains¹⁰ hopeful.

“Anything is possible,” said John Boehner. “We are going to work with our Senate counterparts to produce a strong bill.”

House Republican leaders have announced they will hold hearings on immigration reform next week in San Diego, California and Laredo, Texas.  Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Senator Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, plans to hold his own hearings beginning July 5 in his home state.

1 overhauling   

n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• I had no chance of overhauling him. 我没有赶上他的可能。 来自辞典例句
• Some sites need little alterations but some need total overhauling. 有些网站需要做出细微修改，而有些网站就需要整体改版。 来自互联网

2 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。

3 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。

4 intrigued   

adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！
• He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

8 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

9 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

10 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。