2006年VOA标准英语-US Lawmakers Debate Security, Iraq, Terrorism,

By Dan Robinson
Washington
08 September 2006

As the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks approaches, Republicans and Democrats¹ continue to trade words over Bush administration policies in Iraq, the fight against radical² Islamist terrorism, and homeland security. From Capitol Hill, VOA's Dan Robinson reports, members of Congress seeking re-election in November have drawn³ clear battle lines, as President Bush presses Congress to pass key security-related legislation.

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For the third time in two days, opposition⁴ Democrats used news conferences on Capitol Hill to lay out what they call their security agenda, policies they hope will persuade Americans to vote them back into power in Congress.

Among other things, Democrats pledge that if Americans return them to power in the House and Senate in November, they will implement⁵ all of the recommendations of the independent September 11 Commission, and bring a more competent approach to protecting against terrorism. 

Hillary Clinton (file photo)

Senator Hillary Clinton, viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2008, laid out this challenge to Republicans. [Let's have] "a real debate about our real security. Enough with the photo ops, enough with the speeches, enough with the tough rhetoric," she said.

While she has been among the sharpest critics of President Bush on Iraq, and homeland security, Senator Clinton urges a bipartisan effort with Republicans.

Another potential contender for the White House in 2008, Democratic Senator Joseph Biden took a stronger approach in a speech at the National Press Club where he took aim at President Bush's post-9/11 policy of pre-emption. "Real security comes from prevention, not preemption. And that working with strong partners is better than alienating⁶ our partners," he said.

Key Democratic leaders, such as Senate Minority Leader Harry⁷ Reid, say a series of speeches by President Bush in advance of September 11 observances, are politically-motivated.

For their part, Republicans make clear they don't intend to let Democrats steal the spotlight⁸ when it comes to Iraq, terrorist threats, and security, some of the key issues on which the November election is likely to be decided⁹.

In throwing down a challenge of their own this week, Republicans turned to border security, which they assert has improved under their watch.

But they also know that continuing critical gaps in securing U.S. borders make the country vulnerable to potential new terrorist attacks, and leave them open to Democratic attacks.

House Republicans vow¹⁰ to pass new border security and immigration-related legislation before the end of September, when lawmakers are due to leave to campaign for the November election.

Dennis Hastert is the Republican House Speaker:

"We have a million people coming across that border every year, undocumented, going around the checkpoints, we don't know who they are, what they are carrying on their backs, or what their purpose is," he said.

There is a problem of course, which is that members of President Bush's Republican party have been seriously split over how to move forward in reforming the nation's immigration system.

House Republicans say they are consulting with the Senate, where bipartisan legislation providing for a guest worker program and path to citizenship¹¹ has won the support of President Bush, but contrasts sharply with a House-passed bill.

Republican Congresswoman Deborah Pryce and fellow Republican Roy Blunt, addressed that rift¹²:

PRYCE: The American people are starting to realize that there is a big difference between the product the House produced way back last December, and the product that the Senate produced, and there is a vast range of difference to work with.

BLUNT: Frankly¹³, our friends on the Senate side are beginning to appreciate the fact that the American people not only appreciate that difference but understand why the House position to secure the border first has made the most sense.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is waiting to see what emerges from the Republicans, but sees no broad immigration reform on the horizon. "There is not going to be any comprehensive, bipartisan immigration bill unless the president of the United States weighs in, unless he exerts his leadership to do which he has advocated for, but which he has not been able to persuade his party to do," she said

Continuing a series of pre-September 11 anniversary speeches, President Bush again urged Congress to approve legislation that would establish guidelines to enable terrorist suspects to be tried before military courts, and provide firmer legal basis for an electronic surveillance program he says is vital to track down potential terrorists before they can strike.

1 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》

2 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。

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 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。

5 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

6 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

7 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。

8 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

11 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。

12 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

13 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。