VOA常速英语2008年-US Congress Begins Recess Without Sending Bush

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
15 February 2008

The U.S. Congress has begun a 12-day recess¹ without meeting President Bush's demand to renew a warrantless wiretap law set to expire on Saturday. President Bush is appealing to lawmakers to act when they return to Washington at the end of the month, saying it is a matter of national security. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

President Bush wants lawmakers to send him a bill that will authorize² intelligence agencies to monitor, without court warrants, telephone calls between Americans and suspected terrorists overseas. He also wants the bill to include a provision granting immunity³ from prosecution⁴ to telephone companies that took part in the administration's wiretap program following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Some 40 lawsuits⁵ are pending⁶ against telephone companies for allegedly violating wiretap laws. Speaking at the White House Friday, Mr. Bush said without legal immunity, these firms will be reluctant to take part in the surveillance program in the future.

"These telephone companies that worked collaboratively with us to protect the American people are afraid they are going to get sued," he said. "The American people have got to understand these lawsuits are going to make it harder for us to convince people to help protect you."

Mr. Bush wants the House to pass legislation approved by the Senate this week which includes a provision to grant immunity to phone companies and gives the government the authority to conduct wiretaps without a warrant. House Democrats⁸ have raised concerns about protection of privacy rights.

Public opinion polls have shown that in general the American people view Republicans as stronger on national security.

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says House Democrats will have to answer constituents⁹ back home next week about why they refused to back a measure that he argues is critical to helping¹⁰ protect America.

"I think this will be the biggest story through the recess," he said. "People will be asking about it all over the country, and they [House Democrats] will have to decide how to answer the question."

But many Democrats argue that even if the current law expires, the government could still monitor terror suspects' communications that pass through the United States - with a court warrant. They say Republicans and the White House are creating a crisis to deflect¹¹ attention away from the stagnant¹² U.S. economy and the unpopular war in Iraq.

"They want something to put in front of the American people to take their minds off the state of our economy, to take their minds off the fact that we are just unfortunately just a few lives away from losing 4,000 soldiers in this war in Iraq," said Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Democrat⁷ in the Senate. "They want to manufacture a security crisis."

The chairmen of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees and Judiciary Committees have begun talks to try to resolve the standoff by the time Congress returns from its recess later this month.

Congressman¹³ John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

"We have the beginnings of what can lead to a positive resolution of that problem," he said.

Conyers says he is committed to working with his Republican colleagues and the White House to pass wiretap legislation that protects both civil liberties and national security.

1 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。

2 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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

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 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。

8 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》

9 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 deflect   

v.(使)偏斜，(使)偏离，(使)转向

参考例句：

• Never let a little problem deflect you.决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。
• They decided to deflect from the original plan.他们决定改变原计划。

12 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

13 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。