VOA常速英语2007-Two US Congressional Panels Approve Revisions to

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
10 October 2007

Two U.S. congressional panels have approved legislation that would restrict the government's power to eavesdrop¹ on foreign terrorism suspects. President Bush expressed his opposition² to the measure, saying it would weaken U.S. intelligence agencies' ability to crackdown on terrorists. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

The Democratic-led House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees each voted to send the bill to the full House for an expected vote next week.

The legislation would roll back some of the expanded powers that Congress granted the Bush administration back in August when it approved the Protect America Act - a measure that amends³ 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to address new technologies, including e-mail and cell phones.

The Protect America Act, which expires in February, gives the attorney general and the director of national intelligence greater powers to authorize⁴ surveillance - sparking concerns among critics that the law could undermine Americans' civil liberties.

Under the revisions approved Wednesday, a special intelligence court would have a greater role in reviewing government requests for surveillance. The measure would require that intelligence agencies get a court order to monitor communications between suspected terrorists overseas and people in the United States, and it would mandate⁵ quarterly audits⁶ of the surveillance program by the Justice Department inspector⁷ general.

Congressman⁸ Jerry Nadler of New York, a member of the Judiciary Committee, supports the bill.

"It will provide reasonable secret court oversight⁹ to ensure that when our government starts spying on Americans, it does so lawfully¹⁰, by getting a warrant from the secret foreign intelligence court," he said. "It puts an end to this administration's well-worn 'trust me' routine."

Republican critics, including President Bush, argue that requiring the government to seek court approval of some surveillance requests will hinder its ability to hunt down terrorists.

Mr. Bush told reporters he opposes the proposed revisions to the Protect America Act.

"The Protect America Act is a vital tool in stopping the terrorists - and it would be a grave mistake for Congress to weaken this tool," he said.

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan, argues otherwise.

"To those who would claim that this bill is weak on terrorism, I only have this to say: protecting the civil rights and liberties of Americans does not show weakness, but strength," he said. "What the terrorists fear most is our Constitution and our values, and that is what this bill protects."

But the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, is concerned that those protections could end up benefiting terrorists.

"In certain cases, there may be more liberties extended to radical¹¹ jihadists, people like [Osama] bin¹² Laden¹³, than what we give to American citizens," he said.

The provisions of the House bill would expire in December 2009.

The legislation does not include a provision requested by the administration that would grant retroactive immunity¹⁴ to U.S. telecommunications companies that cooperated with the administration's warrantless wiretapping program following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

President Bush says he plans to work with Republicans and Democrats¹⁵ in the House to craft a bill he can support.

1 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。

2 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。

3 amends   

n. 赔偿

参考例句：

• He made amends for his rudeness by giving her some flowers. 他送给她一些花，为他自己的鲁莽赔罪。
• This country refuses stubbornly to make amends for its past war crimes. 该国顽固地拒绝为其过去的战争罪行赔罪。

4 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

5 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

6 audits   

n.审计，查账( audit的名词复数 )v.审计，查账( audit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Requires that use of all bond funds is subject to independent audits. 需要使用的所有债券基金是受独立审计。 来自互联网
• Support the locations during customer-visits, audits and quality-improvement programs. 支持客户参观，稽核和提高品质等项目。 来自互联网

7 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

9 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

10 lawfully   

adv.守法地，合法地；合理地

参考例句：

• Lawfully established contracts shall be protected by law. 依法成立的合同应受法律保护。 来自口语例句
• As my lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death parts us. 当成是我的合法丈夫，无论疾病灾难，直到死亡把我们分开。 来自电影对白

11 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

12 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

13 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

14 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

15 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》