VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Pushes for Healthcare Reform

U.S. President Barack Obama's fourth nationally-televised evening news conference Wednesday was dominated by the debate over reforming the country's health care system. The president is trying to overcome objections to his plan from lawmakers in both parties.
　
President Obama speaks at White House news conference, 22 Jul 2009

President Obama's initiative to fix the way Americans pay for health care is losing popular support and lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern about its cost.

So Mr. Obama held a news conference, to make his case that overhauling¹ the country's health insurance system is an issue that should transcend² politics.

"This is about every family, every business and every taxpayer³ who continues to shoulder the burden of a problem that Washington has failed to solve for decades. This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait any longer for reform," he said.

Mr. Obama accused Republicans of playing politics with the issue, after at least one opposition⁴ senator said failure to pass health reform could "break" the president.

However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier that Republicans are also concerned with policy, not politics. "We do not wish anyone ill. We want to get the policy right," he said.

And, House Republican Leader John Boehner said Americans are concerned that Mr. Obama's proposal will involve excessive government involvement in people's lives. "But I think, as Americans look up today, what they see is a big government takeover of health care that is on the table and a plan that, frankly⁵, they do not support," Boehner said.

At the news conference, Mr. Obama said, if the system is not changed, 14,000 Americans will lose health insurance each day. And, he said the United States will not be able to control its deficit⁶ if it cannot control health care costs.

He defended his early-August deadline for congressional passage of the legislation, even though it is almost sure to slip.

"If you do not set deadlines in this town, things do not happen. The default position is inertia⁷, because doing something always creates some people who are unhappy," he said.

Seven of the 10 questions asked at Mr. Obama's news conference concerned health care. The president also fielded questions about his efforts to reform the U.S. financial system, and said progress is being made.

"It is not where it needs to be. But people are no longer talking about the financial system falling off a cliff. We have stepped away from the brink," he said.

It was the first major Obama presidential news conference at which he was not asked questions about foreign affairs.

1 overhauling   

n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• I had no chance of overhauling him. 我没有赶上他的可能。 来自辞典例句
• Some sites need little alterations but some need total overhauling. 有些网站需要做出细微修改，而有些网站就需要整体改版。 来自互联网

2 transcend   

vt.超出，超越(理性等)的范围

参考例句：

• We can't transcend the limitations of the ego.我们无法超越自我的局限性。
• Everyone knows that the speed of airplanes transcend that of ships.人人都知道飞机的速度快于轮船的速度。

3 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

4 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。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

7 inertia   

adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝

参考例句：

• We had a feeling of inertia in the afternoon.下午我们感觉很懒。
• Inertia carried the plane onto the ground.飞机靠惯性着陆。