VOA常速英语2014--Washington Week: In Election Year, Congress Unlikely to Tackle Tough Issues 聚焦华盛顿:大选年美国国会回避棘手问题

Washington Week: In Election Year, Congress Unlikely to Tackle Tough Issues  聚焦华盛顿:大选年美国国会回避棘手问题

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Congress gets back to work Monday after a weeklong break. Despite recent action to pass a federal budget and raise the nation’s debt ceiling, expectations are low that the politically-divided legislature will tackle momentous 1 - and contentious 2 - legislation to reform America’s immigration system and facilitate new international trade pacts 3.

华盛顿报导-从双休回来，国会成员开始了一个礼拜的工作。除了最近通过了国家预算和提高国家负债，而政治分歧是棘手问题包括建立美新的国移民系统和设立新的国际贸易政策。

In last month’s State of the Union address, President Barack Obama once again urged Congress to enact 4 immigration reform.

上个月，联邦政府声明，美国终统奥巴马再一次要求国会颁布新的移民法。

“Immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits 5 by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades.  And for good reason: when people come here to fulfill 6 their dreams - to study, invent, and contribute to our culture - they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone.  So let us get immigration reform done this year,” said Obama.

“在未来的20年，移民政策法案将使我国的经济增长，减少财政赤字斤1万亿。且更好的原因是：当人们来到美国实现自己的理想，学习或发明或致力于文学，他们让我们的国家变更具竞争力，招商引资创超更多的就业岗位。所以我们必须通过最新的移民政策。”奥巴马如实说。

Many Republican lawmakers remain opposed to any bill that would provide a path to citizenship 7 for undocumented workers.  Others, like House Speaker John Boehner, say the Obama administration cannot be trusted to enforce the law.

许多共和党官员仍然反对花任何钱给失业市民提供就业途径。另一种意见是，美国官员约翰本尼说奥巴马政府不会支持废纸这项法律的。

“The American people, including many of my [House Republican] members, do not trust that the reform we are talking about will be implemented 8 as it was intended to be,” said the speaker.

“美国人民，包括许多我们的国会成员不会支持这项法律会像希望的那样实施的。”美国官员说道。

On the other hand, Boehner is urging bipartisan backing to boost the administration’s ability to negotiate free trade agreements across the globe.

另一方面，本尼强调两党支持增加行政力量来商议全世界自由贸易法案。

“The president says he wants to make this a year of action.  That sounds good, but if he wants to make it a year of action, let us work together to pass Trade Promotion 9 Authority that would expand exports and create more jobs in America,” said Boehner.

”总统希望本年能够实施这项法律。听上去似乎很容易，但如果想实施，还需要我们共同合作通过贸易促进条例，这才能在美国真正扩大出口创造更多工作机会。“本尼告诉记者。

在贸易促进条例中，贸易条例由国会举手表决。奥巴马总统已经批准了扩大外贸条例，但是这并不意味着贸易促进挑剔具有经济特权

Under TPA, trade pacts would be subject to an up-or-down vote in Congress without amendment 10.  President Obama has endorsed 11 expanding trade, but has not named TPA as a top economic priority.

“We need to work together on tools like bipartisan trade promotion authority to protect our workers, protect our environment, and open new markets to new goods stamped ‘Made in the USA.’  China and Europe are not standing 12 on the sidelines.  Neither should we.”

“我们两党必须共同合作保护我们的工人，保护我们的环境，而开拓新的市场的都是戳有‘美国制造’的产品。中国和欧洲都不会退让这部分市场，我们也不会。”

Many congressional Democrats 13 say free trade will ship American jobs overseas.  In the Democratic-led Senate, Majority Leader Harry 14 Reid says TPA is unlikely to get a vote.  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says opposition 15 runs high in her caucus 16.

许多国会民主当人认为自由贸易会将美国就业机会转移到海外。民主党主要领导人哈利瑞德说贸易促进条例不会获得民众支持。白宫少数民族领导南希说在她的决策委员会支持的人更多。

"I do not think that [TPA] would have very many votes among Democrats in the House."

“我不认为贸易促进条例会争取到白宫中更多自由党人的投票。”

Instead, Pelosi is urging Congress to raise the U.S. minimum wage and to extend jobless benefits for the unemployed 17, which most Republicans oppose.

相反，佩洛西认为国会提高美国最低工资以及增加实业福利才能，这些许多共产党人反对。

All House seats and one-third of the Senate will be contested in midterm elections in November.  During an election year, Congress usually shies away from politically-contentious votes, a tendency that could be repeated in 2014.

所有的国会的成员和1/3的参议院的成员将为11月大选而奋斗。在大选年，国会总是远离政治重大问题选举，2014年也不例外。