2007年VOA标准英语-GAO Report Offers Mixed Assessment of Departmen

By Deborah Tate
Washington
06 September 2007

A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, says the Department of Homeland Security has failed to meet half its performance expectations since it was established in 2003. The report was presented to a Senate panel Thursday, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Congress created the Homeland Security Department in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Just days before the sixth anniversary of the attacks, the Government Accountability Office sent Congress its assessment¹ of how well the department has been performing. GAO Comptroller General David Walker offered a mixed picture in testimony² before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee:

"There were 171 different performance expectations of which we judged that 78 were generally achieved, 83 generally not achieved, and 10 that we did not assess."

The GAO says the Homeland Security Department made the least progress toward some of the fundamental goals set after the 2001 attacks, including improving emergency preparedness and eliminating bureaucratic³ and technical barriers to information sharing.

The GAO finds moderate progress made in such areas as immigration enforcement, transportation security, and securing critical infrastructure⁴, including bridges and power plants.

The report says the only area where significant progress has been achieved has been in maritime⁵ security.

Lawmakers expressed concern that the department has not done more. "The department must pick up the pace of its progress," said Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican.

But Homeland Security Department Undersecretary for Management Paul Schneider defended his agency's record and took issue with the way the GAO study was conducted. "While we were pleased that the GAO recognized our progress, the department continues to believe that they used a flawed methodology in preparing its report, which resulted in many of the assessments⁶ not fully⁷ reflecting the department's progress," he said.

Senator Joe Lieberman, who chairs the committee and calls himself an independent Democrat⁸, asked Comptroller General Walker whether the Homeland Security Department should be credited for the fact that the United States has not had another attack since 2001.

Walker responded by saying, "I have always been very uncomfortable with anybody who wants to assert that because we haven't had another terrorist attack that that automatically means we have done a great job, and we have done everything we should do."

The Senate panel has scheduled another hearing Monday to assess the terrorist threat to the United States. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and the Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell are expected to testify.

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

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 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

6 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句

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 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。