VOA标准英语2008年-US Congress Faces a Week of Challenges

The U.S. Congress faces a major legislative¹ challenge next week as it awaits details of a Bush administration plan to deal with the worst U.S. financial crisis in decades. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill, where congressional leaders are working around the clock with the White House and financial officials in preparing a financial rescue package.
　
Treasury² Secretary Henry Paulson holds news conference at Treasury Department, 19 Sep 2008

Congressional leaders from both parties will tackle what Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has described as a mammoth³ legislative proposal, one he says must be large enough to calm and stabilize⁴ financial markets, but cautious enough to protect Americans from too much economic fall out.

As outlined by Paulson, the plan would provide billions of dollars to purchase bad loans from companies facing potential collapse⁵ as a result of the country's mortgage crisis.

Until now, the government has been selectively coming to the aid of major banks and financial institutions that are strapped⁶ with billions of dollars in bad debt, mostly high risk loans for properties that eventually went down in value.

Senate Banking⁷ Committee chairman Chris Dodd spoke⁸ with reporters on Capitol Hill. "This will be a very difficult plan," he said. "We have already been told it is going to be a costly⁹ plan, how much we don't know."

Senator Dodd and Congressman¹⁰ Barney Frank of the House Financial Services Committee, along with heads of other panels and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are consulting with Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and others over the weekend.
　
President Bush, flanked by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (l) and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, delivers statement about economy, 19 Sep 2008

Appearing with Paulson, Bernanke, and Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Christopher Cox at the White House Friday, President Bush went out of his way to underscore what he called an urgent need for bipartisan cooperation in getting the financial plan through Congress.

"This is no time for partisanship," he said. "We must join to move urgently-needed legislation as quickly as possible without adding controversial provisions that could delay action."

The president's appeal for what is called a "clean" piece of legislation points to one challenge in moving a bill.

With the price tag of the plan still unknown, lawmakers may want to modify a base administration proposal, either before or during debate.

On the presidential campaign trail, Democratic Senator Barack Obama made his own appeal for a bipartisan approach. "I think it is critical at this point that the markets and public have confidence that their work will be unimpeded by partisan¹¹ wrangling¹² and that leaders in both parties work in concert to solve the problem at hand," he said.

Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain addressed supporters at a campaign rally. "They [Americans] want to know how their government will meet the crisis. Clear answers are hard to come by in Washington, D.C," he said.

What is clear is that Democrat's target of adjourning¹³ Congress on September 26 so lawmakers can prepare for the November presidential and congressional elections may have to slip.

Democratic leaders also aim to push through separate legislation aimed at stimulating¹⁴ the stagnating¹⁵ U.S. economy, and a measure to keep federal government operations going when the new fiscal¹⁶ year begins October 1.

 

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

3 mammoth   

n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的

参考例句：

• You can only undertake mammoth changes if the finances are there.资金到位的情况下方可进行重大变革。
• Building the new railroad will be a mammoth job.修建那条新铁路将是一项巨大工程。

4 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

5 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

6 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

10 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。

11 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。

12 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

13 adjourning   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Before adjourning, councillors must stop procrastinating and revisit this controversial issue. 在休会之前，参议员必须停止拖延，重新讨论这个引起争议的问题。
• They decided upon adjourning the session. 他们决定休会。

14 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

15 stagnating   

v.停滞，不流动，不发展( stagnate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I feel I'm stagnating in this job. 我觉得，干这份工作我没有长进。
• ITT was stagnating when Geneen became the chief executive officer in 1959. 1959年吉宁出任行政总负责人时，国际电话电报公司正处于不景气时期。 来自辞典例句

16 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。