VOA标准英语2011--Automatic US Spending Cuts Loom-英语课

时间：2019-01-10 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2011年(十一月)

英语课

Automatic US Spending Cuts Loom 1

Under current U.S. law, automatic cuts to domestic programs and national defense 2 will begin in 2013, because a congressional committee failed to agree on trimming America’s federal deficit 3. Already, many lawmakers say they want to shield favored federal programs from the budget ax, despite a veto threat from President Barack Obama.

A budget deal earlier this year specified 4 there would be $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts, known as a "sequester 5," if a special “supercommittee” failed to trim the deficit by an equal amount over a 10-year period. The supercommittee’s failure leaves the sequester in place, at least for now.

President Obama says austerity is on the way. “One way or another, we will be trimming the deficit," he said.

That means major cuts to a range of programs, from farm subsidies 6 to transportation to payments to medical providers for treating the elderly. It also means deep cuts for the defense budget.

The looming 7 sequester angers lawmakers across the ideological 8 spectrum 9. Many Democrats 10 oppose cuts to infrastructure 11 and other domestic programs.

And Republicans say security will suffer if the Pentagon budget is slashed 12. Congressman 13 Howard McKeon said, “National defense has contributed enough to deficit reduction.”

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of a “hollowed out” U.S. military. “If the sequester goes into effect and it doubles the number of cuts, then it will truly devastate 14 our national defense," he said.

The sequester is a blunt budget tool which leaves no room to prioritize spending. Policy analyst 15 Bruce Katz said, “You can cut ‘dumb’, you can cut ‘smart’. Sequestration across the board sounds to me like a ‘cut dumb’ strategy.”

But White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says the sequester’s painful consequences are intentional 16, and needed, to force Congress to act. “It was designed with a specific purpose in mind, which was to [force Congress to act]," he said.

Congress may try to pass legislation blocking the spending cuts. President Obama says a new budget plan is welcome, but only if it reduces the deficit as much as the sequester. “Already, some in Congress are trying to undo 17 these automatic spending cuts. My message is simple: No. I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts," he said.

The veto threat could set the stage for another budget battle next year, when President Obama, all House seats, and one-third of the Senate are up for election.

1 loom

n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近

The old woman was weaving on her loom.那位老太太正在织布机上织布。
The shuttle flies back and forth on the loom.织布机上梭子来回飞动。

2 defense

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 deficit

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

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。

4 specified

adj.特定的

The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

5 sequester

vt.使退隐，使隔绝

Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。

6 subsidies

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

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》

7 looming

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近