Obama Sends Jobs Bill to Congress, Urges Passage

 　　President Obama is urging the U.S. Congress to act quickly on a $447-billion bill he is sending to Capitol Hill aimed at giving the U.S. economy a jolt¹ by creating jobs. Obama used a Rose Garden event to urge opposition² Republicans to support the legislation, saying unemployed³ Americans cannot afford delay.

　　Holding a copy of The American Jobs Act, Obama and Vice⁴ President Joe Biden appeared in the Rose Garden with about two dozen workers from various professions he cited as examples of people who the legislation will help.

　　Echoing his speech last week to Congress the president said the bill - which combines tax cuts, infrastructure⁵ spending and job training proposals - would help small businesses, employ construction workers, and generally strengthen the economy.

　　"No games, no politics, no delays. I am sending this bill to Congress today and they ought to pass it immediately," said the president.

　　With national unemployment stuck above nine percent, Obama's 2012 re-election hopes are pinned to a great degree on winning congressional approval.

　　The top Republican in Congress, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, said Congress should carefully examine the plan and alternative measures.

　　Republicans and the president, he said, should be able to work together to put in place the best ideas of both parties.

　　Obama said again that his job proposals are those that Republicans and Democrats⁷ have supported in the past, and that the plan can be fully⁶ paid for.

　　Referring again indirectly⁸ to Republicans, who he said would rather resolve differences through elections, Obama said Americans who are out of work do not have the luxury of waiting for the next election.

　　"The notion that there are folks who would say we are not going to try to do what is right for the American people because we do not think it is convenient for our politics, we have [been] seeing that too much around here. And that is exactly what folks are tired of," he said.

　　The White House is not offering its own predictions about how many jobs will be created. Officials were encouraged by one estimate, by the chief economist⁹ at Moody's, who projected the bill could create 1.9 million jobs and add two-percentage points to GDP next year.

　　Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew said the White House is "comfortable" that estimates by outside experts underscore the importance of passing the plan.

　　"The American people do not want us to be kind of standing¹⁰ here and arguing over estimates, but getting the job done to create jobs," said Lew.

　　Press Secretary Jay Carney welcomed what he called recent "conciliatory messaging" from Republicans. He said that while the White House is under no illusions about the level of cooperation, the president believes lawmakers have heard American's frustration¹¹ with political bickering¹².

　　"Because the American people, the people that elected them, are now telling them with great clarity and volume, that they need to do something," said Carney.

　　President Obama will announce a long-term deficit¹³ and debt-reduction plan next Monday. The White House says it will fully pay for his jobs package, stabilize¹⁴ the deficit and debt over 10 years, and go beyond the $1.5 trillion target of additional savings¹⁵ that a joint¹⁶ congressional committee must achieve.

　　Obama said again that Americans need to make sure their voices are heard in the coming debate over the jobs plan, and he will use two trips this week to urge Americans to put pressure on Congress.

　　On Tuesday, he makes another visit to Ohio, one of the most important election states and home to Boehner. Obama then goes to North Carolina on Wednesday to promote the jobs package.

1 jolt   

v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸

参考例句：

• We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
• They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。

2 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。

3 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 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。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 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》

8 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

9 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

12 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 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。

14 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

15 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。

16 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。