2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Repeats Call for War Funding Bill Without

By Scott Stearns
White House
14 April 2007

President Bush

President Bush meets with opposition¹ leaders who control Congress Wednesday over differences blocking additional funding for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, Democrats² want a timetable for the withdrawal³ of U.S. troops from Iraq.

President Bush says he will veto legislation passed by Democrats in the House and Senate because he says it undercuts American troops.

"They passed bills that would impose restrictions⁴ on our military commanders and set an arbitrary date for withdrawal from Iraq, giving our enemies the victory they desperately⁵ want," he said.

Both votes were close, making it highly unlikely Democrats will find the two-thirds majority needed to override⁶ the promised veto.

President Bush says Democrats are trying to score political points, so they should send him the bill quickly so he can veto it and get legislators back to working on a new bill without timetables for troop withdrawals⁷.

Democrats say it is President Bush who is politicizing the war by accusing them of under funding troops when their legislation approves all the money he is asking for. Democrats say that when voters elected Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate last year, it was a mandate⁸ to push for a new direction in Iraq.

President Bush says he is changing course with a surge of additional U.S. troops, but that the strategy needs time to work. The Bush administration broadened its campaign for additional funding this past week with Washington appearances by both the Iraqi Ambassador and the Iraqi government spokesman.

White House officials say Wednesday's meeting with Congressional Democrats is not a negotiation⁹ because the president will never accept a timetable for troop withdrawal.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says Democrats welcome a discussion with the president on Iraq that has no preconditions. But in a written statement, Hoyer said Democrats will not rubber-stamp what he calls the president's "failing, stay-the-course strategy" in Iraq.

1 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。

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 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

6 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

7 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

8 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。

9 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。