VOA常速英语2008年-Democrats Suffer Defeat in House of Representat

By Dan Robinson
Washington
14 February 2008

In a blow to Democrats², the House of Representatives has voted to reject a measure that would have extended existing foreign intelligence surveillance legislation by three weeks. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, the development brings more uncertainty³ only days before current legislation is due to expire.

The vote was 229 to 191, a surprising blow to House Democratic leaders who pushed hard for another extension of the Protect America Act, itself a revision of a 1978 law called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance ACT (FISA).

In passing its version of intelligence surveillance legislation on Tuesday the U.S. Senate, voting 68 to 29, included a provision President Bush and Republicans have been seeking. It would provide immunity⁴ from prosecution⁵ to telecommunications companies that gave the U.S. government information without a court warrant after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Congressional Democrats fought against that, citing pending⁶ lawsuits⁷ against the companies, and asserting that the normal legal process should be allowed to run its course.

After a series of procedural delaying tactics by Republicans, the House finally got down to debating the Democrat¹'s bill to extend the existing law past its February 16 expiration⁸ date, which would have been the second extension approved for it.

House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers said lawmakers should not be "stampeded" into approving permanent legislation now, saying more time is required to examine documents among other things.

California Democrat Jane Harman responded to Republican assertions that by merely extending the law, Democrats would be placing Americans at risk by depriving the intelligence community of crucial anti-terrorist tools. "This debate is not, as some on the other side want to characterize it, of Democrats wanting to coddle terrorists. We emphatically do not. We want to capture or kill them. It is beyond cynical⁹ to suggest otherwise," she said.

Congressman¹⁰ Lamar Smith was among Republicans making the allegation. "Another extensnion represents a failure by the House Democratic majority to protect the American people. The Senate understands this. The intelligence community needs a long-term bill to fix gaps in our intelligence law, not a 21 day extension," he said.

Earlier, President Bush challenged House Democrats to debate and approve the Senate-passed bill, saying the security of Americans is at stake. After a meeting with the president, House and Senate Republican leaders urged House Democrats to bring the Senate legislation to a vote. "The president is fully¹¹ aware that there is a bipartisan majority in the House to pass the Senate bill.

We know what we need to do and now is the time to step up and do it in order to protect the American people," said Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader. House Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer asserted to reporters that even if the foreign intelligence surveillance law expires, Americans will not be in danger and the intelligence community will be able to continue intercepting¹² communications of suspected terrorists.

Expressing disappointment with the vote, Hoyer does not expect Democrats will attempt another short-term extension, although he wouldn't rule this out, saying Democrats will use coming weeks to work on a bipartisan bill acceptable to President Bush. "In the event that the Protect America Act is not extended, we nevertheless intend to use the next 21 days for the same purposes, that is to try to see if we can reach agreement between the House and the Senate, on a bill that would enjoy broad support in the House and the Senate,” he said.

At the same time, Congressman Hoyer renewed allegations that Senate Republicans "slow walked" progress of the legislation in that chamber¹³, to put the House in the position of having no alternative but to accept the unacceptable provisions.

1 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。

2 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》

3 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

4 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

5 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。

6 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

7 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

8 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

9 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

10 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。

11 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。

12 intercepting   

截取（技术），截接

参考例句：

• The police had been intercepting my mail, ie reading it before it was delivered. 警方一直截查我的邮件。
• We've been intercepting radio transmissions from Moscow. 我们已从莫斯科拦截到无线电信号。

13 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。