VOA标准英语2009年-Senate Democrats Unite to Advance Key

The Senate has voted by 60 to 40 to close debate on landmark¹ health care reform legislation backed by U.S. President Barack Obama and fiercely opposed by Republican lawmakers. Now, the divided chamber² appears to be heading towards a vote to pass the bill on Thursday, Christmas Eve.

Cindy Saine | Washington 21 December 2009

 
 
It was the middle of the night in Washington, but all 100 senators were gathered in the Capitol for a key procedural vote on health care reform legislation.  Democrats³ needed every single one of the 58 Democrats in the Senate, plus the two independents who normally vote with them, to vote for cloture, which limits debate and Republican delaying tactics, and they got it.  All 40 Republicans voted against cloture.

"On this vote, the yeas are 60 and the nays⁴ are 40.  Three fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to."

Senate Majority leader Harry⁵ Reid of Nevada had been working day and night for weeks to get the 60 votes he needed, amid tireless efforts by Republicans to delay and obstruct⁶ passage of a bill they strongly oppose.

Moments before the vote, Reid read from letters sent to him by people in his home state of Nevada who are sick and unable to get necessary medical care.  Senator Reid cited a Harvard University study that says on average, one American dies every ten minutes because of a lack of health insurance.

"This country, the greatest and richest the world has ever seen, is the only advanced nation on earth where dying for a lack of health  insurance is even possible," Reid said. "

The bill would extend health insurance coverage⁷ to 30 million Americans who now lack it, and bar insurance companies from practices such as denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions.  Most Americans would be required to purchase health insurance for the first time, with subsidies⁸ provided to those who cannot afford it. 

Senate Minority leader, Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky summed up Republican opposition⁹, saying the bill is too expensive and does not fix the problems with the current health care system.

"Tonight marks the culmination¹⁰ of a long national debate," McConnell said. "Passions have run high and that is appropriate. Because the bill we are voting on tonight will impact the life of every American.  It will shape the future of our country.  It will determine whether our children can afford the future they inherit."

Senator McConnell conceded that Democrats have the votes they need, but he said they will face political consequences if the bill passes.

As wrangling¹¹ over the bill has continued for months, public support for the initiative, President Obama's top domestic priority, has declined.  But passage would still be viewed as a major political victory for the president.

Conservative Democratic Senator Ben Nelson announced his support for the bill Saturday after long negotiations¹² with Senator Reid, giving Democrats the 60 votes they needed.  They will need those 60 votes again for a series of procedural votes this week, leading up to a vote on the actual health care bill now likely to take place  Thursday evening, Christmas Eve.

If the bill passes in the Senate, that version will have to be merged¹³ with a more liberal version passed by the House of Representatives which includes a government-run alternative, not included in the Senate version.   So there is likely to be more wrangling and possibly more late night votes on Capitol Hill in January.
 

1 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 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》

4 nays   

n.反对票，投反对票者( nay的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The tally was two ayes and three nays. 投票结果是两票赞成，三票反对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The tally was three yeas and two nays, so the yeas have it. 投票结果是三票赞成两票反对，投赞成票者胜利。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

6 obstruct   

v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物

参考例句：

• He became still more dissatisfied with it and secretly did everything in his power to obstruct it.他对此更不满意，尽在暗里使绊子。
• The fallen trees obstruct the road.倒下的树将路堵住了。

7 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

8 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 culmination   

n.顶点；最高潮

参考例句：

• The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
• It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

11 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

12 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。

13 merged   

（使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中

参考例句：

• Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。
• The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。