VOA常速英语2013--美国即将开始医改大战（在线收听）

Health Care Battle Looms in United States 美国即将开始医改大战

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

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 Affordable Care Act.

Obama signed health care reform into law in 2010, but the battle over its implementation continues.  Groups for and against the health-care law are running TV ads in hopes of winning public support.

巴拉克·奥巴马2009年将医疗改革签署成法律，但有关其实施的争论仍在继续。支持和反对医疗法律的组织在电视上纷纷做广告，希望争取公众的支持。

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 Ted Cruz.

有的共和党人要求国会取消对医疗法律的资金支持，作为十月份重新修改政府开支协议的一部分，德州议员特德·克鲁兹说：

“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.”

“这是行不通的，这会损害医疗项目，如果美国人都起来要求当选官员对此负责，那么现在就是机会。”

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

和克鲁兹意见一致的是佛罗里达议员马克罗·鲁比奥，两人都被视为2016年有可能成为总统候选人。

“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.”

“我认为如果投票支持给医改提供资金的预算，那就不是在反对奥巴马医疗方案。”

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

共和党控制的众议院经常投票要求取消对医改法的资金支持。

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

但这种努力在民主党控制的参议院受到阻扰，并将被总统否决。

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.”

“有人认为，除非能阻止3000万人得到医疗保障，否则就要关闭政府，这种观点是错误的。”

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

国会的民主党也反对取消对该法资金支持，其中包括众议院民主党领袖南希·佩洛西。

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

“我认为他们一片混乱，他们在把事情弄得更糟，事实上我们应该为美国人解决这些问题。”

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.

许多有影响力的共和党也反对取消资金支持的做法，但众议院议长约翰·博纳的态度一直不明朗。

“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.

“我认为我们陷入陷阱里，发现一片糟糕，但我怀疑我们是否能找到解决办法。”

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

报道国会新闻的报刊《点名报》的分析家大卫·霍金斯说，对奥巴马医改法案撤资的运动受到保守共和党和茶党活动人士的推动。

“Conservative Republicans, the Tea Party Republicans have been itching 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 confrontation and think they will win it,” he said.

“自2011年以来，保守的共和党和茶党都希望对此作战，众议院仍有大量共和党人希望进行这种对抗，并认为自己会取得胜利。”

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

共和党战略家福特·欧·康奈尔等人警告共和党不要这么做。

“It is a very, very risky 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.

“这是非常危险的战略，目前共和党希望改变身份和观点，并赢得2014年的选举，从而在国会壮大其力量和实力，而在这样重要时刻这样的战略会损害共和党自身的。”

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

老共和党人担心，他们在20世纪90年代与总统比尔·克林顿对峙期间导致政府关门而遭受指责，也担心如果医改法律导致再度关门，自己会再次遭受指责。