2006年VOA标准英语-US Supreme Court Nominee Faces Questions o
时间：2019-01-31 作者：英语课 分类：2006年VOA标准英语（一月）
By Deborah Tate
Washington
10 January 2006
Samuel Alito
Supreme 1 Court nominee 2 Samuel Alito is facing tough questions about presidential powers and abortion 3 rights during Senate confirmation 4 hearings.
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A key issue in the hearings are statements Judge Samuel Alito made while working as a lawyer in the Reagan administration in support of executive power. Some critics argue Alito embraced greater powers for the president at the expense of civil liberties.
Alito responded that the president has to follow the Constitution and the nation's laws.
"No person in this country is above the law, and that includes the president," he said.
But Alito refrained from discussing particular cases, saying he did not want to prejudge matters that may come before the high court.
The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who is a supporter of abortion rights, asked Alito about statements he made as a lawyer in the Reagan administration opposing abortion.
Alito said the Constitution protects the right to privacy, a key underpinning 5 of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion.
He also expressed support for the legal principle, known as starre decisis, that prior court decisions should be used as guiding principle.
"I agree that in every case in which there is prior precedent 6, the first issue is the issue of starre decisis," noted 7 Mr. Alito. "The presumption 8 is that the court will follow its prior precedence. There needs to be a special justification 9 for overruling a prior precedent."
The committee has scheduled two days of questioning. The nominee is expected to be confirmed by the Republican-led Senate by the end of the month.
He would succeed the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has often cast the deciding vote in 5-4 rulings on controversial cases. Many Democrats 10 are concerned that Alito could tilt 11 the ideological 12 balance of the court to the right.
- It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
- He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
- His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
- Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。
- She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
- A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。
- We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
- We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。
- Underpinning this success has been an exemplary record of innovation. 具有典范性的创新确保了这次成功。 来自辞典例句
- But underpinning Mr Armstrong's technology changes is a human touch. 但阿姆斯特朗技术变革的支柱是人情味。 来自互联网
- Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
- This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
- Please pardon my presumption in writing to you.请原谅我很冒昧地写信给你。
- I don't think that's a false presumption.我认为那并不是错误的推测。
- There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
- In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。
- 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》
- She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
- The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.
- He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
- He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。