Health Care Ruling a Victory for All Americans-英语课

时间：2019-02-13 作者：英语课 分类：英语新闻

英语课

WHITE HOUSE -- President Obama says the Supreme 1 Court ruling upholding the health-care reform law, his landmark 2 legislative 3 achievement, is a victory for all Americans. Although the ruling is a major victory for the president, Republicans are describing it as a momentary 4 defeat, and they vow 5 they will repeal 6 the law.

Obama spoke 7 in the White House East Room after the high court issued its ruling on the Affordable 8 Care Act.
In the court's 5-4 ruling, the conservative chief justice voted with four liberals in upholding the centerpiece of the law, the so-called individual mandate 9 requiring people to have health insurance by 2014 or pay a financial penalty.
Since Congress passed the law in 2010 against Republican opposition 10, a national political battle has ranged over this provision, which opponents said violated the Constitution by forcing people to buy a product they may not want.
President Obama said the ruling will be the subject of intense discussion, but it is a victory for all Americans.
"I know there will be a lot of discussion today about the politics of all this - about who won and who lost," he said. "That is how these things tend to be viewed here in Washington. But that discussion completely misses the point. Whatever the politics, today's decision was a victory for people all over this country, whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court's decision to uphold it."
??The Supreme Court's majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, said legal precedent 11 demonstrates that Congress has the power to impose a tax, and this principle justifies 12 keeping the mandate in force.
In a dissenting 13 opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy said he and three conservative justices believe the entire law is invalid 14.
Obama has faced criticism of the way he pushed the health care law through Congress, with some in his own Democratic Party saying he did not do enough to educate Americans about its benefits.
In his East Room remarks he listed those benefits and said he understands the concerns Americans expressed in what has been a "divisive" debate. But he urged Americans to leave that behind them.
"The highest court in the land has now spoken," the president said. "We will continue to implement 15 this law. And we will work together to improve on it where we can. But what we won't do - what the country can't afford to do - is re-fight the political battles of two years ago, or go back to the way things were."

1 supreme

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

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。

2 landmark

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 legislative

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

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。

4 momentary

adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的

We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。
I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。

5 vow

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

6 repeal

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

7 spoke

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说