VOA常速英语2007年-US Veterans Among Homeless Despite Government I

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
10 November 2007

President Bush says his administration has increased spending for U.S. military veterans by more than two-thirds. But a study released earlier this week found that former military personnel account for one in four homeless people in the United States. And at least 1,500 homeless veterans are from the current U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. From Washington, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

Sunday is Veterans Day in the United States, a day to remember and celebrate those who have served the country's military.

But a study this week from the public non-profit National Alliance to End Homelessness found that many former U.S. military personnel are slipping through the cracks and now account for 25 percent of the nation's homeless population.

Even more concerning, the report found that the homeless are not just older veterans, but also younger ones who have returned from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, signaling that the problem could grow.

President Bush says the nation has a solemn duty to care for its veterans. He says his administration has increased spending for veterans, and he is urging Congress to quickly pass a spending bill that would cover programs for former military members.

"Under my administration, federal spending for our veterans has increased by more than two-thirds. We have extended medical treatment to a million additional veterans, including hundreds of thousands returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. And we have expanded grants to help homeless veterans across the country," he said.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, the President called on the Democratic party-led Congress to pass legislation that would help veterans, including a spending bill that sets aside additional funds for their healthcare and housing.

Democratic party representative Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, a retired¹ three-star Navy admiral, underscored his party's commitment to veterans during the Democrats²' weekly radio address. He spoke³ about legislation his party supports.

"The new direction Congress has supported landmark⁴ legislation to increase the Veterans' budget by six-point-seven billion dollars, the largest single increase in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration. And there is a four-point-four billion dollar increase in veterans medical care, including 600 million additional dollars for new initiatives for mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder," he said.

There are 24 million living U.S. veterans. In fiscal⁵ year 2007, the government spent $80 billion on programs for them, including almost $35 billion for health care.

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

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 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。

4 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

5 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。