VOA标准英语2009-US House Approves Iraq-Afghanistan Funding

The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a nearly $97 billion spending measure that funds the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and provides counter-insurgency funding for Pakistan. The Senate is expected to vote next week on its version of the legislation:

This is the last time the 111th Congress, dominated by Democrats², will fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in a supplemental measure separate from the regular budget, a much-criticized practice used numerous times by the Republican Bush administration.

Almost $12 billion more than President Obama requested, the measure passed in a 368 to 60 vote amid concern about the chances for success of President Obama's new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, and worries about recent violence in Iraq.

House appropriations³ chairman, Democrat¹ David Obey reiterated⁴ his concern about the possibility of achieving real success in Afghanistan. "I have a profound doubt that he can succeed. Not because of any problem with his policy, but because I am dubious⁵ that there are the tools available in that region for us to succeed using any policy," he said.

Both the House measures give the Pentagon money for new weapons, aircraft, and armored vehicles and support for troops and their families.

Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq receive several billion dollars in economic and development stabilization⁶ funds. Pakistan gets 400 million dollars requested by the Obama administration for a new joint⁷ counterinsurgency fund.

Exceeding President Obama's foreign aid request by $2.2 billion, the House measure includes economic, security, food and HIV-AIDS assistance for a range of countries in the Middle East, and Africa, as well as Mexico and the Republic of Georgia.

Lawmakers send a message to the Obama administration regarding plans to close the detention⁸ facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Senate includes money for closing Guantanamo but directs that it cannot be used to transfer detainees to the U.S. House legislation excludes money President Obama requested to begin closing Guantanamo. But while it would forbid the release of detainees into the U.S., it would permit them to stand trial or serve sentences here.

Republicans such as Representative Jerry Lewis asserted that the Obama administration still lacks a plan for closing Guantanamo without subjecting Americans to increased to security risks. "As presently written the legislation does absolutely nothing to prevent the release of detainees from Guantanamo into the U.S into our neighborhoods and communities after October 1st of this year. These detainees, many of them well-known terrorists trained by al-Qaida would be released with no security risks assessment⁹ or even the prior noticiation of members of Congress," he said.

Opposing the bill were members of the Progressive Congressional Caucus¹⁰, such as California Representative Lynne Woolsey and Ohio's Dennis Kucinich, far-left Democrats who say Congress should not provide more money for any war operations.

"WOOLSEY: Don't tell the American people you are ending the war by continuing to fund the war. Don't tell the American people that the war will end when there are plans to leave 50,000 troops in Iraq. Don't tell the American people that the way out of Afghanistan is to escalate¹¹ and more counter-insurgency.

KUCINICH: This supplemental [bill] keeps us involved in Iraq and it sets up an un-ending occupation of Afghanistan."

While Democrats and Republicans said the House legislation reflects strong support for U.S. troops, they also put their own spin on things.

House Republican leader John Boehner said the measure ensures troops have the resources they need for victory without including politically-motivated restrictions¹² meant to hamstring commanders in the field.

House Speaker Pelosi said passage of the final war funding supplemental closes a sad chapter in U.S. history involving a tragic¹³ miscalculation in Iraq that distracted from the real fight against terrorism for far too long.

Senate action is expected next week on a less expensive $92 billion dollar version, which will have to be reconciled in conference with the House-passed measure.

1 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。

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 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

4 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

5 dubious   

adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
• He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

6 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

9 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

10 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

11 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

12 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

13 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。