Obama Seeks to Merge Trade, Commerce Agencies

 　　President Barack Obama is asking Congress for authority to merge¹ a series of federal agencies that deal with trade and commerce.

　　Addressing reporters in the East Room of the White House, he said consolidating² the U.S. Commerce Department with several other federal agencies would save money, boost global trade and make the government more efficient.

　　"We live in a 21st-century economy, but we have still got a government organized for the 20th century," he said. "Our economy has fundamentally changed, as has the world, but our government, our agencies, have not."

　　Obama wants to consolidate³ the work and staff of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the Trade and Development Agency, among others.

　　According to the administration, the initiative would effectively eliminate the Commerce Department and replace it with a central business-related agency, saving about $3 billion over 10 years and cutting about 1,000 jobs.

　　Early in his term, the president set a goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2014. He said Friday the consolidation⁴ would make it easier for the government to help American businesses reach overseas markets.

　　"[It would be] one department where all our trade agencies would work together to ensure businesses and workers can better export, by better enforcing our trade agreements," he said. "One department dedicated⁵ to helping⁶ our businesses sell their products to the 95 percent of global customers who live beyond our shores."

　　The president will need approval from Congress for the broadened authority to reorganize the federal agencies, an authority presidents had for much of the 20th century, White House officials said.

　　Republican lawmakers have criticized the president repeatedly for increasing government spending and running large deficits⁷.

　　The plan's emphasis on small businesses could be related to Obama’s election-year efforts to appeal to middle-class voters on economic issues.

　　The merger⁸ of business-related agencies is expected to be the first of several Obama initiatives intended to streamline⁹ government.

1 merge   

v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体

参考例句：

• I can merge my two small businesses into a large one.我可以将我的两家小商店合并为一家大商行。
• The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.董事们已决定把这两家小商号归并起来。

2 consolidating   

v.（使）巩固， （使）加强( consolidate的现在分词 )；（使）合并

参考例句：

• These measures are meant for consolidating the system of basic medical care. 这些举措旨在夯实基层医疗体系，让老百姓看大病不必出远门。 来自互联网
• We are consolidating the Chinese and English versions of our homepage. 我们将为您提供中英文版本一起的主页。 来自互联网

3 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

4 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

5 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 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

8 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

9 streamline   

vt.使成流线型；使简化；使现代化

参考例句：

• We must streamline our methods.我们必须简化方法。
• Any liquid or gas passing it will have streamline flow.任何通过它的液体或气体将呈流线型的流动。