VOA常速英语2007年-US Senate Fails to Approve Funding Bill for War

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
16 November 2007

The U.S. Senate has failed to approve additional funding that the Bush administration wants for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.   As VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto criticized the Democratic-led Senate for not approving President Bush's $196 billion request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before lawmakers left on a two-week recess³, and he urged them to act when they return:

"Our troops deserve this funding, they need it, and we call on Congress to deliver it as soon as possible," he said.

Republicans blocked a $50 billion spending bill backed by Democrats⁴, because it also included a plan for withdrawing all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by December of next year.   The vote was 53 to 45, seven votes short of the 60 needed to pass under Senate rules.

President Bush had vowed⁵ to veto any legislation that contained a troop withdrawal⁶ timetable.

Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat², had urged passage of the measure as a way to change the course of the war.

"The Senate has an opportunity with this next vote to start to bring this war to an end, and to start to bring our soldiers home in an orderly, responsible way," he said.

The measure was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this week.

In a separate vote, Senate Democrats blocked a $70 billion funding measure sponsored by Republicans.  That vote was also 53 to 45, also 7 votes short of the 60 needed.

Republicans argued the Democrats' action in blocking the bill would undermine progress being made on the battlefield since President Bush boosted the number of troops in Iraq.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, spoke¹ ahead of the vote.

"What we are about to do is take one of the most successful military operations in American history by any measure, the surge, and undercut it by one of the most dysfunctional Congresses in American history by denying the funding to the troops in the field who have performed," he said.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry⁷ Reid, a Nevada Democrat argued strongly against the bill, saying the troop surge was aimed at stabilizing⁸ Iraq to allow for political reconciliation⁹, and that has not happened.

"Our troops continue to fight and die valiantly¹⁰, and our treasury¹¹ continues to be depleted¹² rapidly for a peace that we seem far more interested in achieving than Iraq's own political leaders," he said.

Democratic leaders say there will be no more "blank checks", as they put it, for the war in Iraq.  They say they may not revisit the issue until January. 

But Secretary of Defense¹³ Robert Gates warned lawmakers this week that unless Congress approves the money this month, he will order plans to lay off civilian¹⁴ employees, cut base operations, and terminate contracts early next year.

Congressional Democrats argue the Defense Department can shift funds to the war effort from other accounts.

Secretary Gates says he does not have funds or enough flexibility¹⁵ to move the money to adequately cover the costs of continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

1 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。

2 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。

3 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

4 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》

5 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。

6 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。

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 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

9 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

10 valiantly   

adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳

参考例句：

• He faced the enemy valiantly, shuned no difficulties and dangers and would not hesitate to lay down his life if need be. 他英勇对敌，不避艰险，赴汤蹈火在所不计。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Murcertach strove valiantly to meet the new order of things. 面对这个新事态，默克塔克英勇奋斗。 来自辞典例句

11 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

12 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

13 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。

14 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

15 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。