VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Takes on Budget Critics

U.S. President Barack Obama is taking on Republican critics of his economic plan. After vowing¹ to ease the partisan² rhetoric³ in Washington, the president is turning up the heat.
　
President Barack Obama makes remarks after meeting with Senate and House budget committee chairmen, at the White House in Washington, D.C., 17 Mar⁴ 2009

Mr. Obama eagerly sought Republican support in Congress for his economic rescue plan. But not a single Republican voted for the package in the House of Representatives and only three voted for it in the Senate.

This time, with his budget under fire from the political opposition⁵, the president is fighting back.

He said it is not enough for Republicans to simply oppose his ideas. He added they must come forward with proposals of their own and be willing to negotiate.

"Just say, 'No,' is the right advice to give your teenagers about drugs," said the president. "It is not an acceptable response to whatever economic policies are proposed by the other party."

Speaking after a meeting with the Democrat⁶ chairmen of the congressional budget committees, the president issued a challenge to his critics.

"With the magnitude of the challenges we face, what we need in Washington are not more political tactics," said Mr. Obama. "We need more good ideas. We do not need more point scoring; we need more problem solving."

In his brief remarks, Mr. Obama referred to his proposed $3.5 trillion budget for 2010 as a blueprint⁷ for the future. It includes substantial spending increases for health care, education and the development of alternative energy sources.

Republicans have complained that these programs are too costly⁸ at a time of economic recession. But the president said they are long term investments that must be made.

"The cost of our health care is too high to ignore," he said. "The dependence⁹ on oil is too dangerous to ignore. Our education deficit¹⁰ is too wide to ignore."

But Republicans immediately made clear they are in no mood to compromise on the budget.

California Republican Dan Lungren said Mr. Obama is not living up to his campaign promises to cut taxes and federal spending.

"This budget taxes too much, spends too much, borrows too much," he said. "It is, in fact, a repudiation¹¹ of the very goals he has established."

Indiana Republican Mike Pence continued the criticism of the Obama budget.

"I think the more the American people look at this administration's budget, the more they know we can do better," he said. "We must do better."

Republicans have put forward a list of principles that they think should drive the 2010 budget. Party leaders say they will announce detailed¹² proposals soon.

1 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

2 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

3 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

4 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

5 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。

6 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。

7 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

8 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

9 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

10 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。

11 repudiation   

n.拒绝；否认；断绝关系；抛弃

参考例句：

• Datas non-repudiation is very important in the secure communication. 在安全数据的通讯中，数据发送和接收的非否认十分重要。 来自互联网
• There are some goals of Certified E-mail Protocol: confidentiality non-repudiation and fairness. 挂号电子邮件协议需要具备保密性、不可否认性及公平性。 来自互联网

12 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。