2006年VOA标准英语-US Senator Seeks Censure of Bush

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
14 March 2006

A U.S. Senate Democrat¹ has introduced legislation to censure² President Bush for authorizing³ the warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens.

Russ Feingold (file photo)   
  
Senator Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, argues that President Bush overstepped the law when he ordered the National Security Agency to eavesdrop⁴, without warrants, on phone calls and emails between Americans on U.S. soil and suspected terrorists overseas.

The program bypasses a special federal court whose approval is required under law for domestic wiretapping operations.

Feingold, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, says lawmakers should respond to the president's action.

"Congress should censure a president who has so plainly broken the law," he said.

Although many Democrats⁵ and some Republicans have raised questions about the legality of the wiretapping program, Feingold's censure measure is not expected to get very far. Republicans, who control the chamber⁶, are not likely to vote for it, and it is not clear how many Democrats would support it.

A number of Democrats, many of whom face reelection this year, are concerned such action could alienate⁷ so-called 'swing voters' - or voters who do not always vote along party lines. Many Democrats want congress to move ahead with probes of the wiretap program before considering any censure of the president.

"I think it is important, regardless of party affiliation⁸, that we ask the critical constitutional and legal questions about this wiretap program. This resolution by Senator Feingold would be a catalyst⁹ for that type of investigation¹⁰, those types of hearings," said Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois is a member of the Senate Democratic leadership.

The White House defends the wire tapping program as an important tool in the war on terrorism and says it is legal. Spokesman Scott McClellan dismissed Feingold's censure call as politically motivated. The comments were echoed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican.

"I do believe this is a political stunt¹¹, a political stunt that is addressed at attacking the president of the United States of America when we are at war," he said.

A congressional censure is an official reprimand of the president. The Senate has only taken such action once - in 1834 against President Andrew Jackson.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 censure   

v./n.责备；非难；责难

参考例句：

• You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。
• His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。

3 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

4 eavesdrop   

v.偷听，倾听

参考例句：

• He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop.他藏在壁橱里，以便偷听。
• It is not polite to eavesdrop on the conversation of other people.偷听他人说话是很不礼貌的。

5 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》

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 alienate   

vt.使疏远，离间；转让(财产等)

参考例句：

• His attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith.他离间那两个朋友的企图失败了，因为他们彼此完全信任。
• We'd better not alienate ourselves from the colleagues.我们最好还是不要与同事们疏远。

8 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

9 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。