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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
State of the Union Address Likely to Focus on Domestic Issues
In his first address to Congress in 2009, Obama aimed to inspire confidence amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. "Though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this. We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before," he stated.
Since then, he has used the State of the Union address to talk about events that have shaken the nation, such as mass shootings.
Now, empowered by his re-election, he is pushing Congress to strengthen gun control and pass immigration reform.
"Obviously immigration is going to be a big issue, gun control and gun violence those hot button issues," said James Carafano with the conservative Heritage Foundation. "He is going to have a lot to say about the budget because we will still be in the middle of the budget thing."
Deficit1 reduction and cuts to government spending, facing a March deadline for agreement with Congress, are also likely to be highlighted in the speech.
But John Sides of George Washington University says Obama has to strike a balance between economic progress and the ongoing2 hardships of many Americans. "The economy is improving, his approval is up slightly. But I think we're still in pretty tenuous3 territory," Sides added. "Mass unemployment is very much still with us and likely will be with us for some time. "
In last year's address, Obama marked the end of the U.S. combat role in Iraq and declared that Osama bin4 Laden5 was no longer a threat. This year he will likely again discuss Afghanistan and the timeline for withdrawing most U.S. combat forces.
Anthony Cordesman, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says the Arab world is likely to figure in Tuesday's speech. "He is certainly going to talk about the problems with the upheavals6 in the Arab world," he noted7. "And without really active U.S. diplomacy8, without a mixture of U.S. economic and military aid, without a constant effort to sort of build up stability and more democratic regimes in the region, things are going to become a far more serious threat."
Obama will also need to send a message that Republicans and Democrats9 in Washington should cooperate more, says John Sides. "Then we might be starting to witness maybe a little bit of restoration of Americans trust and faith in government in addition to their feelings about Obama himself," he said.
Sides says Republicans are listening more carefully to voices within their Party that warn against endless confrontation10 with Obama.
1 deficit | |
n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差 | |
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2 ongoing | |
adj.进行中的,前进的 | |
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3 tenuous | |
adj.细薄的,稀薄的,空洞的 | |
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4 bin | |
n.箱柜;vt.放入箱内;[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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5 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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6 upheavals | |
突然的巨变( upheaval的名词复数 ); 大动荡; 大变动; 胀起 | |
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7 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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8 diplomacy | |
n.外交;外交手腕,交际手腕 | |
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9 democrats | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
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10 confrontation | |
n.对抗,对峙,冲突 | |
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