VOA标准英语2010年-Obama Makes Final Public Appeal on Hea

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on health insurance reform during his event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, 19 Mar¹ 2010

Ahead of a crucial health-care reform vote in the U.S. House of Representatives expected on Sunday, President Obama says members of Congress face a choice between supporting the interests of insurance companies or taking a historic step to meet the needs of Americans. Democratic leaders are voicing confidence they can achieve the 216 votes required to pass the legislation, while Republicans are vowing³ to do everything they can to kill it.

With President Obama reported to have told wavering Democratic lawmakers that vote could well determine the success of his presidency⁴, he traveled a few kilometers from the White House to suburban⁵ Virginia to make a high visibility public appeal.

The president described the health care debate as being in its final stages after a century of struggle, saying it's about the character of the United States rather than merely the cost of health care for Americans. "So the only question left is this:  Are we going to let the special interests win once again?  Or are we going to make this vote a victory for the American people?," he said.

The legislation the House will vote on is estimated to cost $940 billion over ten years.  But because of savings⁶ in some areas, the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says it could reduce the size of the federal deficit⁷ by $138 billion, something the president is hoping will attracting support from wavering Democrats⁸.

In seeking to cover more than 32 million Americans lacking insurance, the measure would establish new insurance exchanges, and require nearly all Americans to obtain insurance or pay a fine.  It would also bar insurance companies from denying coverage⁹ based on pre-existing medical conditions, and would limit their ability to impose large rate increases.

Just before the president spoke¹⁰, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared before reporters on Capitol Hill to voice confidence, saying Congress was a day closer to making history for the American people. "Accountability for the insurance companies, affordability¹¹ for the middle class, accessibility for many, many more people," she said.

In his speech, President Obama referred again to criticisms Republicans have made of the health-care reform legislation, separate versions of which were approved last year by the House and Senate.

Republicans assert the legislation will lead to federal government control of the health care system, higher costs and deficits¹² and debt, and bitterly complain about Democrat²'s plan to pass the Senate-approved bill without a direct vote, by packaging it with a separate measure of changes. 

"I know the president is doing the hard sell on this bill, telling Democrat members that his presidency is on the line, but this vote is not about saving a presidency or saving a politician, this is about doing the right thing for the American people," said House minority leader John Boehner.

Republicans also bitterly oppose the Democrat's plan to avoid Republican obstruction¹³ in a later Senate vote on the modified package with a process that would allow approval with a simple majority of 51 votes.

President Obama is telephoning Democrats to urge them to vote for the legislation, as Democratic leaders work furiously to assure the 216 vote margin¹⁴ required for passage. 

Some Democrats who voted against the original House bill last December said they will support the president this time, while others who voted for it last year said they may vote "no" on Sunday.

Pelosi has faced opposition¹⁵ from fiscally-conservative Democrats still nervous about the longer-term cost of the legislation, and opposition from some her in party who assert that language in the measure does not go far enough to ensure a continuing ban on the use of federal funds for abortion¹⁶.
 

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

6 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。

7 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。

8 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》

9 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 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。

12 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

13 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

14 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

15 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。

16 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。