VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Submits First Budget to Congress

U.S. President Barack Obama has unveiled his first federal budget - outlining his spending priorities for the 2010 fiscal¹ year. The proposal totals more than $3.5 trillion. The White House predicts the United States will enter the new fiscal year with the largest budget deficit² since World War II.
　
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Budget Director Peter Orszag (R), and Treasury³ Secretary Tim Geithner, speaks about 2010 federal budget, 26 Feb 2009

The president says he wants to invest billions in high priority programs in areas such as education, health care and energy.

But he says he still intends to bring the deficit down over time.

"While we must add to our deficits⁴ in the short term to provide immediate⁵ relief to families and get our economy moving, it is only by restoring fiscal discipline over the long run that we can produce sustained growth and shared prosperity," said President Obama.

The White House says the United States will go into the 2010 fiscal year with a $1.75 trillion deficit. That is the largest budget shortfall - adjusted for inflation - since 1945.

Mr. Obama says that means everyone will have to compromise, and there will be tough choices ahead. But he stresses that certain needs cannot be ignored.

"Just as a family has to make hard choices about where to spend and where to save, so do we as a government," he said.

President Obama says he wants to put the money into programs that will pay off in the long run, such as a plan to overhaul⁶ the nation's health care system to guarantee availability and affordability⁷.

Many Americans now get health care insurance from their employers. But with medical costs soaring, and businesses feeling the weight of the recession, the system is strained.

"With this budget we are making an historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform," he said. "It's a step that will not only make families healthier and companies more competitive but over the long term it will also help us bring down our deficit."

The president put forward the broad outlines of the budget during a brief appearance at the Old Executive Office Building Thursday. He says a detailed⁸ spending plan will be submitted to Congress in April, once the White House has completed a review of every single government program.

"Having inherited a trillion-dollar deficit that will take a long time for us to close, we need to focus on what we need to move the economy forward, not on what is nice to have," said President Obama.

Mr. Obama said once again that the White House has already identified $2 trillion in potential savings⁹ over the next decade.

He said ineffective programs will be cut and tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans will end.

The White House is also predicting some savings as U.S. forces are drawn¹⁰ down in Iraq. Officials project the cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will be reduced from $130 billion in 2010, to $50 billion annually¹¹ over several years.

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

3 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。

4 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

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

7 affordability   

可购性

参考例句：

• Performance-Based Logistics Affordability: Can We Afford Categorical Conversion to Performance-Based Acquisition? 基于性能的后期的可承受性：能否担负得起向基于性能的采办的无条件的转变？
• There would be no crisis of affordability, as't for food or clothing. 就想食物与服装一样，因为供给没有危机。

8 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

9 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

11 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。