VOA标准英语2008年-Bush Pushes Financial Plan with Congressional L

The White House and the U.S. Congress are inching closer to a financial rescue deal, but no final agreement is in hand. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports President Bush met Thursday with the two major party presidential candidates and Congressional leaders and pushed for action on his $700 billion proposal.
　
Presdient Bush (4th from left) meets with Congressional leaders, including presidential candidates McCain, (far left) and Obama (far right), 25 Sep 2008

The president says there is no time to waste. "We are in a serious economic crisis in the country if we don't pass a piece of legislation," he said.

Mr. Bush says quick action is needed, and stresses he called the meeting in an effort to move the process forward. "My hope is that we can reach an agreement very shortly," he said.

It was an unprecedented¹ session at the White House in an unusual election year full of twists and turns.

The president shared a large oval table with Congressional leaders and the two men who want his job - Democrat² Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

Mr. Bush called on all sides to work together to get the rescue package through the legislature. "One thing the American people have to know is that all of us around the table take this issue very seriously and we know we've got to get something done as quickly as possible."

Lawmakers who have been leading the effort to draft the necessary legislation say there is agreement in principle. But some fiscal³ conservatives in the president's own Republican Party are balking⁴ at the thought of an unprecedented taxpayer-funded bail-out of private financial institutions.

One of the most high-profile opponents of the plan is Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Banking⁵ Committee. As he emerged from the meeting with the president, he made clear there is no final deal yet. "I can tell you, I don't believe we have an agreement. I have voiced my concerns all along," he said.

None of the other participants in the meeting with the president spoke⁶ as they left the White House. Aides said they needed to get back to the Capitol as quickly as possible to resume negotiations⁷.

But within a matter of hours, Senators Obama and McCain each appeared on all the major television news programs in the United States.

During an interview with ABC, Senator McCain - who originally suggested the White House meeting - said he felt it was important to bring all sides together. "We have talked about this issue and have no doubt about the crisis we are facing. We are talking about jobs, we are talking about loans. We are talking about ability of small businesses to stay in operation," he said.

But Senator Obama told CBS that bringing in the presidential candidates in such a visible fashion could further politicize an already delicate set of negotiations. "My preference is to use the phone and to talk to people and work with them - including Secretary Paulson, Chairman Bernanke and others - in a way that is not a photo-op because I think sometimes that prevents things from getting done. It is amazing what you can get done when you are not looking for credit for it," he said.

The two candidates are slated⁸ to hold their first debate Friday evening in Mississippi. On Wednesday, Senator McCain called for a postponement⁹. But now he says he hopes a way can be found for the debate to go on as scheduled.

 

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 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。

3 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。

4 balking   

n.慢行，阻行v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的现在分词 )；（指马）不肯跑

参考例句：

• He picked up a stone and let fly at the balking dog. 他捡起一块石头朝那狂吠的狗扔去。 来自互联网
• Democrats won't pass the plan without votes from rank-and-file Republicans andof-and-file Republicans were reportedly balking. 没有普通共和党议员的支持，民主党人无法通过这项方案——到周四晚间，据悉那些普通共和党人在阻挡（该计划）。 来自互联网

5 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。

6 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。

7 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

8 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

9 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。