VOA慢速英语 2008 0208a

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

 
President Bush holds a laptop computer showing the electronic version of his 2009 budget
This week, President Bush sent Congress the final budget of his presidency¹. The spending plan for two thousand nine would give the federal government its first budget over three trillion dollars.

Deficit² spending would come close to the record of four hundred thirteen billion dollars in two thousand four. But the administration predicts a balanced budget by two thousand twelve.

The budget proposal for next year includes increases for the departments of defense³ and homeland security.

It calls for spending seventy billion dollars on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the full cost for the year is expected to be higher. The president has been providing money for the wars through emergency spending measures.

The administration proposes cuts in the growth of Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare is government health insurance for older people; Medicaid pays for medical care for the poor.

The move is unpopular in Congress. But White House Budget Director Jim Nussle says the budget reduces growth in these programs to a level the nation can afford.

The president's budget includes a short-term economic growth plan. It also includes an extension of tax cuts, along with assistance for homeowners and more spending for scientific research.

Democrats⁴ say the budget spends too little on important services -- and too much when it comes to increasing the national debt.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad says total debts were about six trillion dollars at the end of the president's first year. At the end of eight years in office, he says, that number is expected to rise above ten trillion.

Conservatives in President Bush's Republican Party also criticize the growth in government spending. He entered office with a budget surplus in January of two thousand one. But his budget director notes that the United States later suffered terrorist attacks and natural disasters that required spending more.

The new budget year begins October first. Generally, a lot of changes are made in the last budget of a president who is leaving office. This is true especially when Congress is governed by the opposition⁵ party.

For the first time, Congress received the president's budget request in electronic form. Lawmakers and members of the public can buy traditional printed copies of the huge document if they wish.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. For transcripts⁶ and MP3s of our reports, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

2 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。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 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》

5 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。

6 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句