VOA常速英语2008年-US Official Urges Congress to Pass War Funding

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
16 April 2008

The Bush administration is warning Congress of potential layoffs¹ at the Department of Defense² if they do not approve a $108 billion funding package for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by the end of next month.  But lawmakers are demanding more accountability over the war funds and more attention be spent on domestic initiatives, signaling a tough battle ahead for the White House, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

White House Budget Director Jim Nussle told the Senate Appropriations³ Committee that there could be layoffs at the Defense Department if Congress does not approve funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by the Memorial Day holiday at the end of May.

"The timely consideration of the bill is as important as its contents," he said.

But Senate Democrats⁵ say the administration is asking for the funding at a time when the U.S. economy is in serious trouble. They argue the administration has refused to raise taxes to fund the wars, and is paying for them through the public debt, a practice that Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat⁴, says must stop.

"The debt is now at what $9 trillion and going up," she said.  "I think it is a real problem for the survival of the nation in a healthy way.  I think it is going to be very hard to vote for a $108 billion emergency supplemental that puts that amount on the debt."

The committee chairman, Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, took issue with the $3 billion the administration wants for Iraq reconstruction⁶, saying that request is coming at the expense of the needs of American cities.

"The president wants money to build schools in Sadr City, but not in Seattle," he said.  "Why does he demand money for roads in Ramadi, but nothing for roads in Richmond?  Why, why I say, does he want money for Mosul, but not one thin dime⁷ for Minneapolis?  Why is he determined⁸ to reconstruct Baghdad, but nothing for Baltimore, Biloxi, or Birmingham?"

Other lawmakers wanted to know why U.S. taxpayers⁹ were being asked to pay for Iraq reconstruction at a time when that country is enjoying a budget surplus.

Senator Judd Gregg, a New Hampshire Republican, proposed that Iraq spend $1 for every $1 the United States spends on rebuilding the country.

"It does seem to me that Iraq is not bearing a fair portion of the load here, especially in light of its surpluses," he said.

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Democrat in the Senate who voted against authorizing¹⁰ the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, said he may vote against the supplemental following years of supporting funding for the war. 

"For the longest time I voted to fund it, believing that was the only way to do the right thing for the troops and bring it to a conclusion," he said.  "And now I have reached a different conclusion.  Sending a blank check to this president for this war is going to prolong the killing¹¹, prolong the deaths, the injuries that will return."

But the top Republican on the committee, Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, had a very different view.

"There is no doubt that the continued delay in the approval of the requested funds for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is putting in jeopardy¹² the opportunities to help bring peace and stability to that region," he said.

Budget Director Nussle again warned Congress that the president would veto the war-funding bill if lawmakers added spending for domestic programs.

1 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

4 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。

5 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》

6 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

7 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 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。

10 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

11 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

12 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。