VOA常速英语2008年-Bush Urges Senate to Move Quickly on Economic S

By Scott Stearns
White House
01 February 2008
 

President Bush says U.S. Senators must move quickly to approve a $146 billion economic stimulus¹ plan already passed by the House of Representatives. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the U.S. economy lost jobs last month for the first time in more than four years.

President Bush says it is a serious matter that after 52 months of consecutive² job growth, the U.S. economy lost 17,000 jobs in January. The Labor³ Department says the biggest drops came from factory, building, and government payrolls⁴, which were only partially⁵ offset⁶ by gains in service industries.

The president told supporters in Kansas City that while America's economic fundamentals remain strong, there are serious signs that the economy is weakening. Higher fuel costs and a declining housing market have hurt the economy. Growth in the fourth quarter of last year was 0.6 percent.

Mr. Bush says the economy needs targeted tax cuts to encourage consumers and business leaders to spend more money to stimulate⁸ growth.

A bipartisan package of tax cuts and incentives⁹ negotiated by the White House has already passed the House of Representatives. But Republicans and Democrats¹⁰ in the Senate want to add to the plan, slowing its passage.

President Bush says much of the plan's ability to stimulate the economy depends on it being approved quickly, and he is calling for decisive action.

"It's very important for the Senate to finish their work quickly, because the sooner we can get money into our consumers' hands the more likely it is that the economy will recover from this period of uncertainty," he said.  "The fundamentals are strong. We are just in a rough patch, as witnessed by employment figures today. I am confident we can get through this rough patch and one way to do it is for Congress and the administration to work collaboratively and get this deal done."

The House of Representatives' $146 billion plan includes a $600 rebate¹¹ for many taxpayers¹² plus $300 per child.  The Senate wants $500 refunds¹³ for twice as many people, including disabled veterans and older Americans who are not included in the House plan.

Some Senate Democrats also want to extend unemployment benefits, food aid, and home heating assistance. President Bush has stopped short of threatening to veto the Senate's $157 billion stimulus plan. Vice⁷ President Dick Cheney says any changes could derail the bill altogether.

The Senate is expected to begin a series of votes on its stimulus plan in the coming week.

1 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

2 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 payrolls   

n.（公司员工的）工资名单( payroll的名词复数 )；（公司的）工资总支出，工薪总额

参考例句：

• Indices of employment, payrolls, and production steadied in February 1931931年2月，就业、工资额和生产指数稳定。 来自辞典例句
• Wall Street responded to the payrolls figures with gusto. 华尔街对就业数据作出了积极的反应。 来自互联网

5 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

6 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

9 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 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》

11 rebate   

v./n.折扣，回扣，退款；vt.给...回扣，给...打折扣

参考例句：

• You can claim a rebate on your tax.你可以要求退回部分税款。
• Customers are to benefit from a rebate on their electricity bills.顾客将从他们的电费退费中得到实惠。

12 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

13 refunds   

n.归还，偿还额，退款( refund的名词复数 )v.归还，退还( refund的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Tomorrow he would return them to the store and claim refunds. 明天他要把它们退还给商店并要求退款。 来自辞典例句
• The new method means that taxpayers get refunds much faster. 这种新办法意味着纳税人可以较快地领到退还款。 来自辞典例句