VOA标准英语2009年-Congress Works on Economic Recovery Measure

As President Obama meets with his economic advisers¹, Congress is moving forward with steps to pass a huge economic recovery package.
　
US Congress

With a mid-February deadline for getting legislation to President Obama's desk, the measure was the first major item of business, following the inauguration², in the House appropriations³ committee.

At present it contains $825 billion in spending on infrastructure⁴, transportation, energy, and health care among other things, with $275 billion in tax cuts.

House Democratic leaders envision passage by the end of this month, followed by consideration in the Senate. Minority Republicans say they have no differences with President Obama and Democrats⁶ on the need for quick action.

But they have renewed complaints about what they call tax and spend policies that will not help the economy.

House Minority Leader John Boehner and Republican Caucus⁷ Chairman Mike Pence:

BOEHNER: "It is clear that [the Democratic proposal] does not create the jobs or preserve the jobs that need to happen."

PENCE: "There is a clear conflict of visions between the two [Republican and Democratic approaches]."

The House appropriations chairman, Democrat⁵ David Obey, responded to concerns voiced by Republican Jerry Lewis:

LEWIS: "Let us try to be honest with one another. All of this spending is placing a tremendous burden of debt on future generations."

OBEY: "The fact is that when the economy is collapsing⁸, we have no choice but to either stimulate⁹ consumer demand or see the economy fall further into the abyss and if it does we will have deficits¹⁰ far larger than the deficits we have today."

The recovery package also featured in the Senate confirmation¹¹ hearing for Timothy Geithner, President Obama's nominee¹² to be Treasury¹³ Secretary.

Senator John Kerry, a Democrat, voiced concern about the economic plan.

"As it is currently proposed, the House package and the investment package, I fear stand a good chance of simply being wasted and of not having the impact our overall economic package to have because the system underneath¹⁴ it is broken," said John Kerry.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, who supported Geithner's nomination¹⁵, delivered this chilling message about the economy:

"The financial system is broken," said Paul Volcker. "It is a serious obstacle to recovery. There is no escape from the imperative¹⁶ need for the federal government to come to the rescue to right the economic and financial ship of state."

Dealing¹⁷ with the crisis, Volcker added, will require federal government spending in the form of regular budgetary commitments, various credit and insurance guarantees of several trillion dollars over time.
　
Timothy Geithner testifying on Capitol Hill, 21 Jan 2009

Geithner urged rapid enactment¹⁸ of the recovery measure.

"The ultimate cost of this crisis will be greater if we do not act with sufficient speed now," he said.

Geithner said Senate approval before President Obama's inauguration of the $350-billion second half of the financial institution rescue plan will help.

But he added that other steps must accompany economic stimulus¹⁹, to address the U.S. housing and mortgage crisis, and financial reforms to correct what Geithner called a system that has been shown to be unfair and unjust.

1 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

2 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

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 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 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。

6 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》

7 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

8 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。

9 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。

10 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

11 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

12 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

13 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

14 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

15 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

16 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

17 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

18 enactment   

n.演出，担任…角色；制订，通过

参考例句：

• Enactment refers to action.演出指行为的表演。
• We support the call for the enactment of a Bill of Rights.我们支持要求通过《权利法案》的呼声。

19 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。