2007年VOA标准英语-Legislators Agree on Iraq Funding Bill; Vote La

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
23 April 2007

House and Senate negotiators have agreed on a military funding bill containing a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, approval of a conference report for the Iraq-Afghanistan measure moves it to the full House and later the Senate for approval, but the legislation still faces a certain veto by President Bush.

From left: Representatives David Obey, Rahm Emanuel and Nancy Pelosi, 23 Apr 2007

The meeting in a basement room of the U.S. Capitol was relatively¹ short, mainly because the fate of the legislation, under the veto threat of the president, has already been assured.

With $95 billion of the $120 billion in the bill going for military needs and the rest for various domestic purposes, the legislation now goes to the House floor, and then to the Senate, and from there to the president.

Congressman² David Obey began Monday's meeting by addressing the president's threat of a veto, saying that the real significance will be in sending a clear message about the scrutiny³ the president's war funding requests will get from the Democratic-controlled Congress:

"What is important is not so much the exact language of whatever instrument it is we send to the president," said David Obey. "What is important is the unity⁴ that we express in doing so, so that people understand that we are going to be coming back at this issue again and again."

Republicans focused mainly on the need to approve final bill quickly, and get it to the president so he can veto it, returning the measure to Capitol Hill where it will have to be revised.

Congressman Jerry Lewis also conveyed the Republican contention⁵ that Democrats⁶ are attempting to tie the hands of the president and military commanders:

"This legislation ought to focus on our troops," said Jerry Lewis. "It ought to focus on providing those in harm's way with the resources they need to complete their mission successfully. It ought to respect, not micro-manage our combatant commanders in whom we place the ultimate responsibility for prosecuting⁸ military actions."

The measure that goes to the president, probably by week's end, would set a goal of a phased withdrawal⁹ of U.S. troops to begin no later than October 1 of this year, with a non-mandatory¹⁰ goal of removing all combat forces from Iraq by April 1 of 2008.

House Democrats agreed to adopt Senate language that is softer than a bill the House approved many weeks ago that proposed a mandatory withdrawal by October 2008.

The Democratic plan would largely limit U.S. troops to training Iraqi security forces, protecting remaining U.S. forces, and conducting targeted counter-terrorism operations.

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President Bush makes a statement on the war in Iraq in White House, 23 Apr 2007. With him is Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the multinational force in Iraq

President Bush met Monday at the White House with the commander of the Iraq war, General David Petraeus, and repeated his contention that setting a withdrawal timetable would be disastrous¹² for both nations.

"An artificial timetable of withdrawal would say to an enemy, 'just wait them out.' It would say to the Iraqis, 'do not do hard things necessary to achieve our objectives,' and it would be discouraging for our troops," said President Bush.

The president acknowledged that Iraq continues to be plagued by violence, including what he termed "horrific bombings," but asserts that the military build-up of U.S. forces referred to many as a surge, is showing some signs of progress.

But in a Washington speech Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry¹³ Reid said the president is wrong, and reserved some of his sharpest criticism for the Iraqi government:

"Despite our surge in troops, and spending, they have failed to take meaningful steps toward achieving them [benchmarks for progress]," noted¹⁴ Harry Reid. "Militias¹⁵ have not disbanded and continue to cause terror and now the Iraqi government, once the Bush administration's greatest pride, stands on the brink¹⁶ of chaos¹⁷."

Without enough support to override¹⁸ a veto, Democrats will have to recraft the measure to make it acceptable for the president, and ensure that funds can move to military forces on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition to setting the goal of withdrawing from Iraq, the legislation in its current form also limits the amount of time troops can be deployed¹⁹ to Iraq, and requires that military units be fully⁷ battle-ready, but allows the president to waive²⁰ these requirements if he provides justifications²¹ to Congress.

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 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。

3 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

6 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》

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

9 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。

10 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

11 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

12 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

13 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。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

16 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

17 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

18 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

19 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。

20 waive   

vt.放弃，不坚持(规定、要求、权力等)

参考例句：

• I'll record to our habitat office waive our claim immediately.我立即写信给咱们的总公司提出放弃索赔。
• In view of the unusual circumstances,they agree to waive their requirement.鉴于特殊情况，他们同意放弃他们的要求。

21 justifications   

正当的理由，辩解的理由( justification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• If he a vulgar person, she does not have justifications for him. 如果他是个低级趣味的人，她早就不会理他了。
• It depends on their effect on competition and possible justifications. 这则取决于它们对于竞争的影响和可能存在的正当抗辩理由。