2007年VOA标准英语-US Congressional Panel Cites White House Offici

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
25 July 2007

The House Judiciary Committee has voted to recommend to the full House of Representatives that President Bush's chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, and his former legal counsel, Harriet Miers, be cited for contempt of Congress. The two have refused to comply with Congressional subpoenas¹ for information and testimony² on the controversial dismissal of several federal prosecutors³. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers on the Judiciary Committee voted 22-17 along party lines to recommend the contempt citation⁴ to the full House of Representatives.

Former White House counsel Harriet Miers, Jan 2007

Majority Democrats⁵ have rejected the White House's assertion of executive privilege for refusing to supply documents and allow testimony by Miers before Congress.

Over seven months, House and Senate Democrats have investigated what they believe were improper⁶ political considerations in the dismissal of eight federal prosecutors and politicization of the Department of Justice.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, whose resignation Democrats and some Republicans have demanded over the attorneys issue and other matters, denies any wrongdoing, although he acknowledges mistakes were made.

Republicans accused Democrats of pursuing their investigations⁸ for political reasons, and employing double standards.

Republican Congressman⁹ Lamar Smith contrasts President Bush's use of executive privilege on three occasions with that of former Democratic President Bill Clinton, who invoked¹⁰ it 14 times, and suggests that the White House position would be upheld in the courts.

"The majority knows that the president's assertions of executive privilege go back to George Washington, and rest on long-standing and well-reasoned court rulings and bipartisan executive practices," he said. "It knows that the courts have long honored the president's need to keep advisers¹¹ advice confidential¹²."

Democratic Congresswoman Linda Sanchez believes Congress would prevail in a court battle.

"After six years of the Bush administration's vast expansion of presidential power, time is long overdue¹³ for Congress to reassert itself as a co-equal branch of government and restore checks and balances in our democracy," she said.

Contempt of Congress is a federal misdemeanor carrying a potential $100,000 fine and one-year prison sentence.

The committee vote moves the matter to the full House where a simple majority is required for passage. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would then formally refer it to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia who would then submit it to a grand jury.

However, the White House has stated it would block prosecution¹⁴ of a contempt of Congress case on grounds that present law does not apply to aides under a presidential assertion of executive privilege.

Tony Snow (June, 2007 photo)

At the White House, spokesman Tony Snow had this response when asked about Wednesday's vote.

"In our view, this is pathetic," said Snow. "What you have right now is partisanship¹⁵ on Capitol Hill that quite often boils down to insults, insinuations, inquisitions and investigations, rather than pursuing the normal business of trying to pass major pieces of legislation."

In a report accompanying their recommendation, House Democrats say their investigation⁷ uncovered serious evidence of wrongdoing by White House staff and Justice Department officials, and apparent false or misleading statements to Congress.

Neither the House nor the Senate has voted on a contempt of Congress citation since 1983 when the House voted to cite a government official who failed to appear at a hearing.

1 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

2 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

3 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

4 citation   

n.引用，引证，引用文；传票

参考例句：

• He had to sign the proposition for the citation.他只好在受奖申请书上签了字。
• The court could issue a citation and fine Ms. Robbins.法庭可能会发传票，对罗宾斯女士处以罚款。

5 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》

6 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

9 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。

10 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

12 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

13 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

14 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

15 Partisanship   

n. 党派性, 党派偏见

参考例句：

• Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
• There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学