VOA常速英语2008年-Bush Urges US Congress to Pass Surveillance Bil

By Scott Stearns
White House
28 February 2008

President Bush says the House of Representatives risks reopening a dangerous gap in intelligence gathering¹ by failing to pass a law expanding warrantless surveillance.  VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, opposition² leaders in the House say the president has all the authority he needs to protect the nation.

President Bush wants retroactive immunity³ for telecommunications companies that complied with government requests to monitor telephone and computer traffic between the United States and suspected terrorists abroad without a court warrant.

Many of those firms are now facing civil lawsuits⁴ for their actions following the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.  Mr. Bush says allowing those lawsuits to proceed would be unfair because those companies were told their assistance was legal and vital to national security.

"Allowing the lawsuits to proceed could aid our enemies because the litigation process could lead to the disclosure of information about how we conduct surveillance and it would give al-Qaida and others a roadmap as to how to avoid the surveillance," he said.  "Allowing these lawsuits to proceed could make it harder to track the terrorists because private companies besieged⁵ by and fearful of lawsuits would be less willing to help us quickly get the information we need."

Without private sector⁶ cooperation, President Bush says the government cannot protect the country from terrorist attack.  He says that protection is not a partisan⁷ issue as Republicans and Democrats⁹ in the Senate approved retroactive immunity.  The bill is now stalled in the House.

"Republicans and Democrats in the House stand ready to pass the Senate bill if House leaders would only stop blocking an up-or-down vote and let the majority in the House prevail," the president said. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she is certain that delaying the law does not place the nation at greater risk of terrorist attack.

The Democratic leader in the House says what is at stake is the separation of powers established under the 1978 Foreign Service Intelligence Act, which gave Congress the authority to decide the terms under which intelligence collection can take place.

"This president is saying it is not about the law and it is not about the courts," Pelosi said. "It's about the president deciding that he has inherent authority to spy on anyone.  We do not want any president, Democrat⁸ or Republican, to have that authority.  And that is why we are making this fight on protecting the American people and protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States."

President Bush wants to broaden the circumstances under which intelligence agents need not obtain a warrant from a secret court before listening in on communications between the United States and suspected terrorists abroad.

Pelosi says the president already has all the authority he needs under the original FISA law.  President Bush says that law is out of date and does not allow intelligence agents to track foreign terrorists abroad quickly and effectively. 

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

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 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。

4 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

5 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

8 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。

9 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》