2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Calls on Congress to Approve Budget R

By Scott Stearns
White House
08 February 2006

President George Bush is calling on Congress to approve his 2007 budget requests and make permanent a series of record tax cuts.  

George Bush speaks to Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, Feb. 8, 2006, in Manchester  
  
President Bush says it is an exciting time for the U.S. economy which added more new jobs in the past two-and-a-half years than the European Union and Japan combined.

He told business leaders in the northern state of New Hampshire that the $2.7 trillion budget he sent to Congress this week will cut the federal deficit¹ in half by 2009.

And he warned them against moves by some congressional Democrats² to allow parts of his record tax cuts to expire, as the president says that would hurt the economy.

"You will hear the argument during the budget debates, you know all the noise coming out of Washington, that you need to raise taxes in order to balance the budget," Mr. Bush said. "I've been there long enough to tell you that's not the way Washington works. They're going to raise your taxes and they're going to find new ways to spend your money. The best way to reduce the deficit is to make sure we have pro-growth economic policies in place and be smart and wise about how we spend your money."

The president also defended proposed cuts in health care and student loan programs.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry³ Reid called the budget "immoral," saying it cuts money for the poor and those least able to afford it, while favoring wealthier Americans and special interests.

Despite an improving U.S. economy, recent opinion polls show the president's approval ratings are still below 50 percent. In speeches since last month's State of the Union address, the president has started speaking more directly about what he says is American anxiety about the future.

"One of the interesting things we face here in America is in spite of the numbers and the economic growth, there is uncertainty⁴," Mr. Bush said. "Some of the uncertainty comes as a result of competition from places like India and China. The temptation with [in response to] uncertainty and competition is to say, 'We can't compete. Let us kind of wall ourselves off."

President Bush says he rejects protectionism and will keep America the world's economic leader not by fearing future competition but by shaping that future with good policies in Washington.

1 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。

2 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》

3 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

4 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。