VOA标准英语2013--US House Speaker Boehner Reelected Despite Dissent

 

US House Speaker Boehner Reelected Despite Dissent¹

There were some tense moments during the long voice vote for the new speaker of the Republican-controlled House, where there were only two names on the ballot² -- Boehner, and Democratic former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as no other Republican stepped forward to challenge their leader.

Some members shouted other names in protest, such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell and outgoing Tea Party-backed Republican Representative Allen West.

When the votes were counted, despite 10 protest votes against him, Boehner defeated Pelosi -- 220 to 192. Pelosi congratulated Boehner, and called for Democrats³ and Republicans to work together.

"Speaker Boehner, I know all too well, that we will not always agree, but I hope with all my heart that we will find common ground," Pelosi said.

In a sign of likely clashes to come over cuts to social welfare programs supported by Democrats, Boehner indicated that his focus will remain on reducing the country's soaring national debt.

"Our government has built up too much debt; our economy is not producing enough jobs -- and these are not separate problems," Boehner said.

In the recent fiscal⁴ cliff battle, Boehner faced dissension within Republican ranks and had to rely on Democratic votes to pass a bill this week intended to avert⁵ the so-called fiscal cliff.

Analyst⁶ Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution says Boehner has had a rough time from the very beginning with some anti-government Tea Party members of his own conference.

"I mean the bottom line is, he [i.e., Boehner] is not weakened because he was never strong," Mann said.

Some fiscally⁷ conservative Tea Party groups tried to stage an action on the House floor to stop Boehner from being reelected, but it faltered⁸.

Ron Meyer of the grassroots group American Majority Action strongly opposes Boehner.

"The fact is that he purged⁹ conservative members from their committees earlier this month. He proposed his own tax hikes, $800 billion worth, John Boehner did. He does not represent the conservative movement, and we need somebody who does, who can make an articulate case for why people should follow the conservative movement, why they should believe in free market economics," Meyer said.

Analysts¹⁰ say the next big showdown on Capitol Hill will likely be a fight over raising the U.S. national debt ceiling, which is expected within the next few months. And they say that this battle could also put Boehner in a difficult position with his fellow Republicans. 

1 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 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》

4 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。

5 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 fiscally   

在国库方面，财政上，在国库岁入方面

参考例句：

• Nor will fiscally stretched governments pump more money into the political equivalent of a leper colony. 财政吃紧的政府也不愿将更多的钱投入这个避之唯恐不及的政治瘟疫区。
• We are more fiscally constrained, which forces us to work smarter and more efficiently. 与F-15相比我们资金上的限制更大了，美女类小游戏，这迫使我们更为精心和有效地工作。

8 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

9 purged   

清除（政敌等）( purge的过去式和过去分词 )； 涤除（罪恶等）； 净化（心灵、风气等）； 消除（错事等）的不良影响

参考例句：

• He purged his enemies from the Party. 他把他的敌人从党内清洗出去。
• The iron in the chemical compound must be purged. 化学混合物中的铁必须清除。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。