2006年VOA标准英语-US Congress Returns to Hectic Session

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
05 September 2006

Congress has returned to work after a long summer break, as Republicans and Democrats² begin a hectic³ few weeks of legislative⁴ activity before leaving again to campaign for November congressional elections. Pre-election politics loom⁵ over the remaining days of the current congressional session, with both major political parties seeking to use Iraq and national security issues to gain the upper hand.

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As the Senate reconvened, and with the House resuming work on Wednesday, congressional Democrats and Republicans made clear they consider Iraq and security issues pivotal in the upcoming elections.

With public opinion polls still showing Republicans and President Bush suffering politically from the situation in Iraq, Democratic leaders took to the microphones to launch their latest criticisms.
 
 
Senate Minority Leader Harry⁶ Reid, right, discusses a report on war on terror during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Sept. 5, 2006
  
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid offered the core of a Democratic strategy attempting to portray⁷ Bush policy failures in Iraq as destabilizing the Middle East, encouraging a nuclear-ambitious North Korea, and weakening the U.S. military.

"The facts do not lie," he said. "Under the Bush administration and this Republican Congress, America is less safe, facing greater threats, and unprepared for a dangerous world in which we live."

Reid and other Senate Democrats will propose a resolution this week calling for the resignation of Defense⁸ Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

California Democrat¹ Barbara Boxer⁹ provided a preview of debate on that issue, referring to recent remarks by Rumsfeld saying critics of President Bush on Iraq have failed to learn lessons from World War II.

"I don't think staying the course with a failing policy in Iraq has anything to do with appeasing¹⁰ the Nazis¹¹ before World War II," she said. "Get with the current moment Mr. Secretary and Mr. President. Let's get a fresh face over at the Department of Defense. Let's move forward with hope. Let's move forward with a plan.

In response, House and Senate Republicans accused Democrats of trying to politicize the Iraq issue for their own gain.
 

John Boehner (file photo)   
  
House Republican Leader John Boehner told reporters he will try to block any such resolution from reaching the House floor.

Boehner referred to Democrats as Defeatocrats, going on to accuse the minority of helping¹² embolden¹³ terrorists.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says Democrats have weakened the government's powers in the war on terrorism and homeland security, while playing politics with Iraq.

"I think it is a pure political game at the same time [that] we are trying to address the very serious issues of port security [and] making sure that our government and our representatives have the tools to fight this war on terror, to make sure the money flows like the bill we have today to support our troops overseas," he said. "And if they want to inject a purely¹⁴ partisan¹⁵ political amendment¹⁶ or resolution I will address it." 
 

George Bush  
  
The exchanges over Iraq and Secretary Rumsfeld's performance came as President Bush uses a series of speeches to urge Americans to support his approach in Iraq and in the war on terrorism.

"These radicals¹⁷ have declared their uncompromising hostility¹⁸ to freedom," he said. "It is foolish to think that you can negotiate with them."

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell responds to Democratic criticisms that Iraq has diverted U.S. attention away from the fight against al-Qaida.

"Iraq according to [prominent al-Qaida leader Ayman] Al-Zawahiri is the central front in the war on terror and we agree with him," he said. "I don't know why people can't accept what he is saying. It has become the place to fight the war on terror."

Republican leaders project an end-of-September date for adjourning¹⁹ to prepare for the November mid-term congressional elections.

They have crafted an agenda emphasizing security and defense-related bills, including Senate action on defense legislation, and bills on terrorist interrogation policies and domestic anti-terrorist surveillance.

However, Congress will be unable to complete major government appropriations²⁰ bills before the November election, requiring lawmakers to reconvene in mid-November to finish up business of the 109th Congress.

President Bush's goal of signing a comprehensive immigration bill before Americans vote for a new Congress will not be met, although Republican leader Boehner vowed²¹ to get a strong border security-related bill to the House floor.

Next week, both chambers²² of Congress will mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with resolutions honoring victims and families.

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 hectic   

adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的

参考例句：

• I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
• The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。

4 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。

5 loom   

n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近

参考例句：

• The old woman was weaving on her loom.那位老太太正在织布机上织布。
• The shuttle flies back and forth on the loom.织布机上梭子来回飞动。

6 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。

7 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

8 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。

9 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

10 appeasing   

安抚，抚慰( appease的现在分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争）

参考例句：

• Mr. Chamberlain had cherished the hope of appeasing and reforming him and leading him to grace. 张伯伦先生则满心想安抚他，感化他，教他温文知礼。
• A pleasing preacher is too often an appeasing preacher. 一昧讨好的传道人通常是姑息妥协的传道人。

11 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

13 embolden   

v.给…壮胆，鼓励

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine,he went over to introduce himself to her.他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• The Prime Minister was steadily emboldened by the discovery that he faced no opposition.发现自己并未遭到反对，首相渐渐有了信心。

14 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

15 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

16 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。

17 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

18 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

19 adjourning   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Before adjourning, councillors must stop procrastinating and revisit this controversial issue. 在休会之前，参议员必须停止拖延，重新讨论这个引起争议的问题。
• They decided upon adjourning the session. 他们决定休会。

20 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

21 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

22 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网