VOA常速英语2008年-US House of Representatives Holds Secret Sessio

By Dan Robinson
Washington
13 March 2008

The House of Representatives has met in a rare closed session to consider proposed revisions to foreign intelligence surveillance law, the subject of continuing conflict between President Bush and Democrats¹. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, there were emotional exchanges about the unusual meeting, which came after President Bush repeated his opposition² to Democratic legislation he asserts would harm U.S. security against possible new terrorist attacks.

On only three other occasions in recent times - 1979, 1980, and 1983 - has the House held what is called a "secret session", in which the chamber³ undergoes a security sweep and is closed to the public and media while lawmakers discuss sensitive issues.

This time it was requested by minority Republicans, who with President Bush oppose a Democratic measure to revise existing law on electronic surveillance aimed at helping⁴ the U.S. prevent further terrorist attacks.

But many Democrats expressed discomfort⁵, questioning exactly what would be discussed in the closed session and voicing suspicion at Republican motives⁶ for making the request just before a two-week recess⁷.

Texas Congressman⁸ Lloyd Doggett was one of those challenging reasoning for the unusual session.

"I would not want to limit the ability of anyone to debate any aspect of this. If their points are clear and justified⁹, I would want them to do that in front of the American people and not in a secret session unless it in some way compromised the confidentiality¹⁰ and classified nature of the material," he said.

House majority leader Steny Hoyer explains why he and other key leaders agreed to the Republican request. "All this contemplates¹¹ is the offering and receiving of information that the minority has represented, they believe they want to give to the members, they ought not to give in open session," he said.

Republican minority whip Roy Blunt implied that new classified information would likely be discussed, although he asserted it would not differ from details already made available to members of the House intelligence committee. "This is a bill that goes well beyond the information the most members would normally have. I think the secret session will be helpful to the members, or I wouldn't have said early today that I would ask for it," he said.

Democratic lawmakers also questioned what information revealed in Thursday's classified session could be discussed when, as is now expected, the House holds an open public debate on the Democratic measure on Friday:

Congresswoman Diane Watson was among those pressing Republicans and her own Democratic leadership to explain why the closed debate was necessary. "I have got to go back to my district and explain to my constituents¹² why we had a secret session before we voted on the FISA bill," she said.

 

President Bush and Republicans accuse Democrats of leaving critical loopholes in place that harm the ability of the intelligence community to conduct electronic surveillance of suspected terrorists overseas, including monitoring of communications involving U.S. citizens that involves U.S. communications hubs.

Although the U.S. Senate approved, in a strong bipartisan vote, retroactive immunity¹³ to telecommunications companies that assisted the government in a once-secret surveillance program, House Democrats refuse to do so and have not brought up the Senate measure for consideration.

Among key differences with the Senate's measure, House Democrat's bill would require a special intelligence court to approve surveillance steps before they begin, except in certain emergency situations, require additional legal reviews, and establish an independent commission to examine Bush administration surveillance. President Bush has said this would only slow the gathering¹⁴ of critical anti-terrorist intelligence.

House Republican leader John Boehner used a news conference to reiterate¹⁵ his party's position on the Democrat's bill. "Why would the speaker of the House continue to stand in the way of allowing a bipartisan group of members of the House, a majority of the House, from voting on the Senate-passed bill?," he said.

President Bush Thursday renewed his insistence¹⁶ on retroactive immunity, and lashed¹⁷ out at Democrats. "Members of the House should not be deceived into thinking that voting for this unacceptable legislation would somehow move the process along. Voting for this bill does not move the process along. Instead voting for this bill would make our country less safe," he said.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi used a separate briefing for reporters to reject the president's reasoning. "When the president says that the legislation we are putting forth¹⁸ will not make America safer, the president is wrong. He knows full well that the existing FISA law gives him the authority he needs, [that] the administration needs, to collect [intelligence]," she said.

Not known, of course, is the nature of any new information presented to lawmakers late Thursday the classified session, and what impact that might have on Democratic leader's willingness to take up Senate-passed legislation.

1 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》

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 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。

4 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。

5 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

6 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

7 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。

8 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。

9 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

10 confidentiality   

n.秘而不宣，保密

参考例句：

• They signed a confidentiality agreement. 他们签署了一份保守机密的协议。
• Cryptography is the foundation of supporting authentication, integrality and confidentiality. 而密码学是支持认证、完整性和机密性机制的基础。

11 contemplates   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的第三人称单数 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• She contemplates leaving for the sake of the kids. 她考虑为了孩子而离开。
• Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them. 事物的美存在于细心观察它的人的头脑中。

12 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》

13 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。

14 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

15 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

16 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

17 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。