VOA常速英语2007年-US Senate Panel Holds Bush Aides in Contempt
时间：2019-02-02 作者：英语课 分类：VOA常速英语2007年（十二月）
Washington
13 December 2007
A U.S. Senate panel has voted to hold White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and President Bush's former top aide, Karl Rove in contempt for refusing to cooperate in its probe of the Bush administration's firing of federal prosecutors 1. The move steps up a constitutional confrontation 2 between the legislative 3 and executive branches of government, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
The vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee was largely along party lines, with only two of the nine Republicans on the panel, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Charles Grassley of Iowa, joining 10 Democrats 4 to vote to send the contempt of Congress citations 5 to the full Senate.
The Bush administration has cited executive privilege in its refusal to allow chief of staff Josh Bolten and former White House aide Karl Rove to testify or provide documents to the committee for its investigation 6 into the Justice Department's firing last year of nine federal prosecutors.
Majority Democrats believe partisan 7 politics was behind the dismissals, while the White House argues the firings were performance-related.
The committee chairman, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, said it is important for his panel to enforce its subpoenas 8 in an effort to carry out oversight 9 of the executive branch.
"Having been directed to comply with the committee's subpoenas, they have not done so, now we must take the next steps to enforce the committee's subpoenas. It is not a step I wanted to take. In fact I have tried for many months for ways to work with the White House to avoid such confrontation," he said.
Senator Specter, the top Republican on the committee, agreed, although he noted 10 that the issue would likely land in federal courts and not be resolved until after President Bush leaves office in January 2009.
"I vote for the contempt citations knowing that it is highly likely to be a meaningless act because it takes a long period of time to enforce the process and have a judicial 11 determination. But I think in this context we have no alternative but to proceed to do that," he said.
At the White House, spokeswoman Dana Perino called the committee action "a futile 12 effort."
"The Department of Justice would not require a U.S. attorney to convene 13 a grand jury or otherwise pursue a prosecution 14 of an individual who carries out a president's instruction not to provide documents or testimony 15 on the basis of the president's assertion of executive privilege," she said.
The House Judiciary Committee also has approved contempt resolutions against chief of staff Bolten and former White House lawyer Harriet Miers.
- In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
- You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。
- We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
- After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。
- Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
- Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。
- 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》
- The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Some dictionary writers use citations to show what words mean. 有些辞典的编纂者用引文作例证以解释词义。 来自辞典例句
- In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
- He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
- In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
- The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。
- My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
- Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网
- I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
- Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。
- 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。
- He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
- Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。
- They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
- Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。
- The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
- Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。
- The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
- He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。