2007年VOA标准英语-Democrats to Keep Pressure on Bush Over Iraq Fu

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
02 May 2007

Majority Democrats¹ intend to maintain pressure on President Bush over Iraq in coming months, despite the president's veto of war funding legislation containing a timeline for withdrawing U.S. forces.  VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill, where Democrats failed in a 222 to 203 vote to have the House of Representatives override² the president's veto.

As the House prepared for the unsuccessful override vote, Democratic leaders were busy planning strategy in crafting new legislation to send back to the president.

Majority leader Steny Hoyer told reporters he hopes to have a new version within the next two weeks.  That would be the goal in the House, he emphasized, noting that the Senate would also have to act.

On specifics, he notes that key Republican leaders have stated that a new measure should carry some form of benchmarks to hold the Iraqi government accountable for progress on political reconciliation³. 

One option Republicans apparently⁴ are considering is linking future U.S. assistance, such as aid for reconstruction⁵, with Iraqi government progress.  

Republican whip Roy Blunt made this comment to VOA:

"The political and economic aid would be the logical thing to look at," he said.

House majority leader Hoyer told reporters that Democrats will use legislative⁶ opportunities over the next four months, namely separate defense⁷ authorization⁸ and appropriation⁹ bills and House-Senate negotiations¹⁰, to exert pressure regarding the future course in Iraq.

In sending Congress formal written notification of his veto, President Bush said it contained an arbitrary date for beginning withdrawal¹¹ of American troops without regard to conditions on the ground, and tried to micromanage military commanders.

Knowing they lacked support for the two-thirds majority needed to over-ride a veto, House Democrats went ahead with an over-ride debate and vote, featuring familiar arguments.

Harry12 Reid, 2 May 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070604/0917420.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Nancy Pelosi (l) and Harry Reid, 2 May 2007

Saying Congress will not support an open-ended U.S. commitment in Iraq, Speaker Nancy Pelosi had these remarks on the floor of the House:

"I had hoped that the president would see the light, instead of turning a tin ear to the wishes of the American people, and a blind eye to what is happening on the ground in Iraq," she said.

Republican leader John Boehner countered that the rejected legislation would have strengthened the hand of terrorists, in Iraq and elsewhere:

"They have made Iraq the central front in their war with us, and if we walk out of Iraq, if we don't give this plan a chance to succeed, we encourage the terrorists," he said.  "We will encourage them [and] they will be able to recruit new people all over the world.  They will have a safe haven¹³ in Iraq itself."

Emerging from a meeting with the president later, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell agreed that a new measure should go to the president before the next congressional break at the end of May, adding that the president's chief of staff would meet with Senate Republicans on Thursday.

Describing the meeting with the president as very positive speaker Pelosi quoted the president expressed willingness to work together to find common ground.

While expectations are that Democrats will have to drop language containing a specific timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces, Senate majority leader Harry Reid said a new measure should contain language that transitions the mission of U.S. forces and ends the war in Iraq.

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 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。

3 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。

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

6 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。

7 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。

8 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

9 appropriation   

n.拨款，批准支出

参考例句：

• Our government made an appropriation for the project.我们的政府为那个工程拨出一笔款项。
• The council could note an annual appropriation for this service.议会可以为这项服务表决给他一笔常年经费。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 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。

12 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。

13 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。