2007年VOA标准英语-US Senate Rejects Measure to Cut Off Funds for

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
16 May 2007

The U.S. Senate has rejected a measure that would end funding for U.S. combat operations in Iraq by April 1 of next year. The White House praised the vote, but some Senate Democrats¹ say support is building for the effort to limit funding for the unpopular war. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

In a procedural vote, the Senate voted 67-29 to reject the measure to cut off funds for the Iraq war by April 1, 2008.

Democrat2 Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin (r) accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Harry3 Reid of Nevada (l) gestures during a news conference to discuss Iraq, on Capitol Hill in Washington, 16 May 2007 " hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070606/0847320.jpg" width="201" vspace="2" border="0" />

Democrat Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin (r) accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada (l) gestures during a news conference to discuss Iraq, on Capitol Hill in Washington, 16 May 2007

The measure was sponsored by Democratic Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.

"Redeploying our troops from Iraq will create a more effective integrated strategy to defeat expanding terrorist networks, whether they be in Afghanistan, Somalia, Algeria, Morocco or even here at home," he said. "It is time to end a war that is draining our resources, straining our military and undermining our national security."

The measure divided the Senate's majority Democrats. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, said he opposes any effort to cut funding to U.S. troops.

At the White House, spokesman Tony Snow praised the Senate for voting down the measure.

"We need to send a message that we are engaged and the goal is success in Iraq," said Snow.

But supporters of the bill said their effort is gaining support. In fact, two senators who are seeking the Democratic nomination⁴ for president next year who previously⁵ were reluctant to limit funding backed the legislation on Wednesday. They are Senators Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.

Anti-war advocates said the vote gives them hope that eventually they will prevail.

"We will have a change in mission in Iraq, away from policing a civil war and to the much more narrow focus of counterterrorism, which is what the American people demand, and we will keep at it and at it and at it until we succeed," said Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat.

In other action, the Senate narrowly rejected a proposal by the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, Senator John Warner of Virginia, which would have cut some U.S. aid to Iraq if the Iraqi government failed to meet certain political and security benchmarks.

At the urging of the White House, Warner included a provision to allow the president to waive⁶ the restriction⁷. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the measure too weak.

The Senate did approve a nonbinding resolution expressing the need to approve funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by the end of the month.

The votes come as lawmakers are seeking a compromise on a bill to fund the wars through September 30 and send it President Bush before a week-long congressional recess⁸ at the end of the month.

The House of Representatives passed a measure last week that would fund the wars in two 60-day installments⁹ - legislation President Bush says he opposes.

The president has already vetoed one war funding bill on grounds it also included a timeline for the withdrawal¹⁰ of troops from Iraq.

Senate Majority Leader Reid wants to avoid another presidential veto and is working with Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on a compromise funding measure that the House can approve and the president will sign.

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 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 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。

4 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 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。

7 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

8 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。

9 installments   

部分( installment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The first two installments were pretty close together in 1980. 第一次和节二次提款隔得很近，都是在1980年提的。
• You have an installments sales contract. 你已经订立了一份分期付款的买卖契约了。

10 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。