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美国健保法案 - 两党9月摊牌

U.S. lawmakers return to Washington next month and they face a deadline of October 1 on how to continue funding the federal government.

美国国会议员休会结束之后下个月回到华盛顿的时候，必须在10月1日之前决定如何为联邦政府继续拨款的问题。

A group of Republicans is threatening to force a government shutdown unless Congress votes to deny funding for President Barack Obama’s signature health care reform law, known as the Affordable¹ Care Act.

一些共和党人威胁说，如果国会不拒绝为奥巴马总统的健保改革法案拨款的话，他们就要迫使联邦政府关闭。

Obama signed health care reform into law in 2010, but the battle over its implementation³ continues.

奥巴马总统在2010年签署了医疗改革法案，但是，两党仍在如何实施的问题上继续较量。

Groups for and against the health-care law are running TV ads in hopes of winning public support.

支持和反对这个法案的团体都在播放电视广告，希望赢得公众的支持。

Some Republicans are demanding that Congress defund the health care law as part of any agreement to renew overall government spending in October, including Texas Senator Ted⁴ Cruz.

包括德州参议员泰德?克鲁兹在内的一些共和党人要求国会拒绝为这个法案拨款，并以此做为同意在10月份继续为政府拨款的条件之一。

“It is not working, said Cruz. "It is hurting health care and now is the opportunity to do it if the American people rise up and hold our elected officials accountable.”

克鲁兹参议员说：“这是行不通的，它伤害到医疗保健。美国人民要想发出呼声，要我们的民选官员负起责任，现在正是时候。”

Joining Cruz in the effort is Florida Senator Marco Rubio, both are considered potential presidential contenders in 2016.

佛罗里达州参议员马科?卢比欧也表达同样的立场。他们二人都被认为是2016年问鼎总统宝座的潜在人选。

“It will do irreparable damage to our economy and to our country," said Rubio. "I do not think you can say that you are against Obamacare if you vote for a budget that funds it.”

卢比欧参议员说：“你如果投票赞成为奥巴马健保法案拨款的预算，你就不能说你反对这个法案。”

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has frequently voted to defund the health-care law.

共和党人控制的国会众议院已经几次投票决定不为健保法案拨款。

But the effort has been blocked in the Democratically-controlled Senate and would be vetoed by the president.

但是，他们的努力遭到民主党人控制的参议院的截击，而且即使通过也会遭到总统否决。

Obama was asked about the defunding effort during a recent news conference. He said, “The idea that you would shut down the government unless you prevent 30-million people from getting health care is a bad idea.”

奥巴马总统说：“你们如果不能防止3千万人获得健保就关闭政府，这是很糟糕的想法。”

Congressional Democrats⁵ are also fighting the idea of defunding the law, including House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

国会民主党人也在对抗不为健保法案拨款的想法。其中包括众议院民主党领袖佩洛西。

“I think they are aimless," she said. "I think they are chaotic⁶ and I think they are making matters worse for the American people when we should be resolving this.”

佩洛西众议员说：“他们十分混乱。在我们应该解决这个问题的时候，他们却在把美国人民的境遇变得更糟。”

A number of senior Republicans in both the House and Senate also oppose the effort to defund and the issue has become a point of division within the party. But Republican congressional leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner, remain noncommittal.

几名有影响力的共和党人也反对拒绝为健保法案拨款。不过，议长贝纳仍然没有决定立场。

“And I am confident that when we get into the fall we will find that it may be a messy process, but I suspect we will find a way to get there,” he said.

贝纳议长说：“我确信，到了秋天，我们会发现事情很乱，但是，我想我们会有办法里出头绪。”

The move to defund Obamacare is being driven by Tea Party activists⁷, says analyst⁸ David Hawkings of Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Congress.

分析人士大卫?霍金斯说，拒绝为健保法案拨款的行动是共和党保守派和绿党支持者主导的。

“Conservative Republicans, the Tea Party Republicans have been itching⁹ for a fight ever since they got here in 2011.  ... There are still a solid number of Republicans in the House especially who are itching for that kind of a confrontation¹⁰ and think they will win it,” he said.

霍金斯说：“共和党人，共和党保守派，还有支持绿党的共和党人，他们2011年当选以来一直在等待这场较量。众议院有很多这样的共和党人，尤其是等待这场较量并且认为会取胜的人。”

Republican strategist Ford² O’Connell is among those warning Republicans not to do it.

共和党策略师福特?奥康奈尔等人警告共和党人，不要逼迫两党摊牌。

“It is a very, very risky¹¹ strategy that could come back and bite the Republicans at a very important time when they are trying to change their identity and change their perception and win elections in 2014, so they can grow their numbers and govern in Congress,” he said.

奥康奈尔说：“这是非常非常危险的策略，可能会使共和党人自食其果，尤其是目前正值他们试图改变形象和观念、赢得2014年大选、以便增加席位并控制国会的非常重要时刻。”

Veteran Republicans worry that because they were blamed for government shutdowns in the 1990’s during budget confrontations¹² with former President Bill Clinton they will be again if there is a shutdown over the health-care law.

老牌共和党人担心，由于上世纪90年代克林顿执政时期政府关闭的罪名落到了共和党人的头上，这次如果由于健保法案问题而迫使政府关闭，他们还会受到指责。