歌曲 | A political dispute in Washington led to a partial shutdown of the United States government |
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[00:00.10] | From VOA Learning English, this is In the News. |
[00:08.00] | This week, a political dispute in Washington led to a partial shutdown of the United States government for the first time in almost 20 years. |
[00:19.78] | Agencies sent home more than 800,000 workers -- |
[00:24.02] | about one-third of the federal work force. |
[00:27.34] | The new budget year began Tuesday, October 1. |
[00:31.90] | But Republicans in Congress blocked even short-term spending for many government operations. |
[00:39.05] | They demanded that Democrats change the Affordable Care Act, the new health care law often called Obamacare. |
[00:46.86] | The Democrats refused. |
[00:48.65] | The shutdown did not stop Tuesday's launch of online marketplaces, called exchanges, at the center of the law. |
[00:57.23] | The federal government and states started websites for millions of uninsured Americans to buy health plans or pay a tax penalty. |
[01:07.00] | Opponents of Obamacare say it will force people and small businesses to buy insurance policies against their will. |
[01:16.20] | At the heart of the dispute is a clash between the two major political parties over the role of the central government in American life. |
[01:25.83] | The political fighting between Democrats and Republicans began to intensify during the 1990s. |
[01:33.75] | That followed the election of Democrat Bill Clinton as president. |
[01:37.32] | Differences over spending and the role of government led to two government shutdowns. |
[01:44.85] | The disputed presidential election of 2000 brought Republican George W. Bush to office. |
[01:51.70] | University of Virginia expert Larry Sabato says the political battles only deepened during his second term. |
[02:00.42] | "There is no question that the polarization increased first with the Bush presidency, |
[02:05.64] | because of the Iraq war and his handling of Hurricane Katrina. |
[02:10.08] | Then it accelerated once President Obama was elected." |
[02:15.56] | The divide grew wider when President Barack Obama pushed his health care reform law through Congress in 2010 without a single Republican vote. |
[02:26.15] | That in turn helped to fuel the rise of Tea Party groups around the country. |
[02:32.06] | The Tea Party is a conservative voting group within the Republican Party. |
[02:38.18] | Republicans have made several attempts to either defund the Affordable Care Act or delay it. |
[02:43.86] | The law is one of the most important acts of Barack Obama's presidency. |
[02:49.70] | Peter Brown of Quinnipiac University in Connecticut studies public opinion. |
[02:55.44] | "Republicans like smaller government and lower government spending and therefore are more opposed to Obamacare. |
[03:02.89] | Democrats tend to be more supportive in general of government solutions to problems, |
[03:07.34] | and they see Obamacare as the right thing to do to help on the health care issue." |
[03:11.71] | Currently, Republicans control the House of Representatives; Democrats hold the Senate and the White House. |
[03:18.88] | A group of conservative Republicans in the House have been leading the opposition to the health care law. |
[03:26.03] | Many of them now depend on strong support from Tea Party activists to get elected. |
[03:32.34] | Larry Sabato says many of them are willing, at least for now, to accept the political blame for forcing the government to shut down. |
[03:41.52]"They will pay a bigger price, but they seem willing to pay it in part because most of their members are in completely safe [congressional] | districts. |
[03:51.42] | The only thing they have to worry about is a challenge from the right in the Republican primary. |
[03:57.59] | So they do not want to let anybody get to their right." |
[03:59.41] | For the moment, Larry Sabato sees no quick end to the shutdown. |
[04:03.88] | Political observer Charlie Cook says some of the Republican opposition is also driven by deep feelings against President Obama. |
[04:13.82] | "There are a lot of Republicans where if President Obama said ‘up,' they would say ‘down.' |
[04:18.24] | The last politically driven government shutdown began in December of 1995. |
[04:24.12] | It lasted three weeks. |
[04:26.12] | And right now there is another issue. |
[04:29.43] | Congress will soon have to raise the borrowing limit or risk the United States not being able to make all of its loan payments. |
[04:38.29] | Congress must renew the government's power to borrow money by October 17 or risk a first-ever federal default. |
[04:47.82] | And that's In the News from VOA Learning English. |
[04:52.04] | I'm Avi Arditti. |
[00:00.10] | From VOA Learning English, this is In the News. |
[00:08.00] | This week, a political dispute in Washington led to a partial shutdown of the United States government for the first time in almost 20 years. |
[00:19.78] | Agencies sent home more than 800, 000 workers |
[00:24.02] | about onethird of the federal work force. |
[00:27.34] | The new budget year began Tuesday, October 1. |
[00:31.90] | But Republicans in Congress blocked even shortterm spending for many government operations. |
[00:39.05] | They demanded that Democrats change the Affordable Care Act, the new health care law often called Obamacare. |
[00:46.86] | The Democrats refused. |
[00:48.65] | The shutdown did not stop Tuesday' s launch of online marketplaces, called exchanges, at the center of the law. |
[00:57.23] | The federal government and states started websites for millions of uninsured Americans to buy health plans or pay a tax penalty. |
[01:07.00] | Opponents of Obamacare say it will force people and small businesses to buy insurance policies against their will. |
[01:16.20] | At the heart of the dispute is a clash between the two major political parties over the role of the central government in American life. |
[01:25.83] | The political fighting between Democrats and Republicans began to intensify during the 1990s. |
[01:33.75] | That followed the election of Democrat Bill Clinton as president. |
[01:37.32] | Differences over spending and the role of government led to two government shutdowns. |
[01:44.85] | The disputed presidential election of 2000 brought Republican George W. Bush to office. |
[01:51.70] | University of Virginia expert Larry Sabato says the political battles only deepened during his second term. |
[02:00.42] | " There is no question that the polarization increased first with the Bush presidency, |
[02:05.64] | because of the Iraq war and his handling of Hurricane Katrina. |
[02:10.08] | Then it accelerated once President Obama was elected." |
[02:15.56] | The divide grew wider when President Barack Obama pushed his health care reform law through Congress in 2010 without a single Republican vote. |
[02:26.15] | That in turn helped to fuel the rise of Tea Party groups around the country. |
[02:32.06] | The Tea Party is a conservative voting group within the Republican Party. |
[02:38.18] | Republicans have made several attempts to either defund the Affordable Care Act or delay it. |
[02:43.86] | The law is one of the most important acts of Barack Obama' s presidency. |
[02:49.70] | Peter Brown of Quinnipiac University in Connecticut studies public opinion. |
[02:55.44] | " Republicans like smaller government and lower government spending and therefore are more opposed to Obamacare. |
[03:02.89] | Democrats tend to be more supportive in general of government solutions to problems, |
[03:07.34] | and they see Obamacare as the right thing to do to help on the health care issue." |
[03:11.71] | Currently, Republicans control the House of Representatives Democrats hold the Senate and the White House. |
[03:18.88] | A group of conservative Republicans in the House have been leading the opposition to the health care law. |
[03:26.03] | Many of them now depend on strong support from Tea Party activists to get elected. |
[03:32.34] | Larry Sabato says many of them are willing, at least for now, to accept the political blame for forcing the government to shut down. |
[03:41.52]"They will pay a bigger price, but they seem willing to pay it in part because most of their members are in completely safe [congressional] | districts. |
[03:51.42] | The only thing they have to worry about is a challenge from the right in the Republican primary. |
[03:57.59] | So they do not want to let anybody get to their right." |
[03:59.41] | For the moment, Larry Sabato sees no quick end to the shutdown. |
[04:03.88] | Political observer Charlie Cook says some of the Republican opposition is also driven by deep feelings against President Obama. |
[04:13.82] | " There are a lot of Republicans where if President Obama said ' up,' they would say ' down.' |
[04:18.24] | The last politically driven government shutdown began in December of 1995. |
[04:24.12] | It lasted three weeks. |
[04:26.12] | And right now there is another issue. |
[04:29.43] | Congress will soon have to raise the borrowing limit or risk the United States not being able to make all of its loan payments. |
[04:38.29] | Congress must renew the government' s power to borrow money by October 17 or risk a firstever federal default. |
[04:47.82] | And that' s In the News from VOA Learning English. |
[04:52.04] | I' m Avi Arditti. |
[00:00.10] | From VOA Learning English, this is In the News. |
[00:08.00] | This week, a political dispute in Washington led to a partial shutdown of the United States government for the first time in almost 20 years. |
[00:19.78] | Agencies sent home more than 800, 000 workers |
[00:24.02] | about onethird of the federal work force. |
[00:27.34] | The new budget year began Tuesday, October 1. |
[00:31.90] | But Republicans in Congress blocked even shortterm spending for many government operations. |
[00:39.05] | They demanded that Democrats change the Affordable Care Act, the new health care law often called Obamacare. |
[00:46.86] | The Democrats refused. |
[00:48.65] | The shutdown did not stop Tuesday' s launch of online marketplaces, called exchanges, at the center of the law. |
[00:57.23] | The federal government and states started websites for millions of uninsured Americans to buy health plans or pay a tax penalty. |
[01:07.00] | Opponents of Obamacare say it will force people and small businesses to buy insurance policies against their will. |
[01:16.20] | At the heart of the dispute is a clash between the two major political parties over the role of the central government in American life. |
[01:25.83] | The political fighting between Democrats and Republicans began to intensify during the 1990s. |
[01:33.75] | That followed the election of Democrat Bill Clinton as president. |
[01:37.32] | Differences over spending and the role of government led to two government shutdowns. |
[01:44.85] | The disputed presidential election of 2000 brought Republican George W. Bush to office. |
[01:51.70] | University of Virginia expert Larry Sabato says the political battles only deepened during his second term. |
[02:00.42] | " There is no question that the polarization increased first with the Bush presidency, |
[02:05.64] | because of the Iraq war and his handling of Hurricane Katrina. |
[02:10.08] | Then it accelerated once President Obama was elected." |
[02:15.56] | The divide grew wider when President Barack Obama pushed his health care reform law through Congress in 2010 without a single Republican vote. |
[02:26.15] | That in turn helped to fuel the rise of Tea Party groups around the country. |
[02:32.06] | The Tea Party is a conservative voting group within the Republican Party. |
[02:38.18] | Republicans have made several attempts to either defund the Affordable Care Act or delay it. |
[02:43.86] | The law is one of the most important acts of Barack Obama' s presidency. |
[02:49.70] | Peter Brown of Quinnipiac University in Connecticut studies public opinion. |
[02:55.44] | " Republicans like smaller government and lower government spending and therefore are more opposed to Obamacare. |
[03:02.89] | Democrats tend to be more supportive in general of government solutions to problems, |
[03:07.34] | and they see Obamacare as the right thing to do to help on the health care issue." |
[03:11.71] | Currently, Republicans control the House of Representatives Democrats hold the Senate and the White House. |
[03:18.88] | A group of conservative Republicans in the House have been leading the opposition to the health care law. |
[03:26.03] | Many of them now depend on strong support from Tea Party activists to get elected. |
[03:32.34] | Larry Sabato says many of them are willing, at least for now, to accept the political blame for forcing the government to shut down. |
[03:41.52]"They will pay a bigger price, but they seem willing to pay it in part because most of their members are in completely safe [congressional] | districts. |
[03:51.42] | The only thing they have to worry about is a challenge from the right in the Republican primary. |
[03:57.59] | So they do not want to let anybody get to their right." |
[03:59.41] | For the moment, Larry Sabato sees no quick end to the shutdown. |
[04:03.88] | Political observer Charlie Cook says some of the Republican opposition is also driven by deep feelings against President Obama. |
[04:13.82] | " There are a lot of Republicans where if President Obama said ' up,' they would say ' down.' |
[04:18.24] | The last politically driven government shutdown began in December of 1995. |
[04:24.12] | It lasted three weeks. |
[04:26.12] | And right now there is another issue. |
[04:29.43] | Congress will soon have to raise the borrowing limit or risk the United States not being able to make all of its loan payments. |
[04:38.29] | Congress must renew the government' s power to borrow money by October 17 or risk a firstever federal default. |
[04:47.82] | And that' s In the News from VOA Learning English. |
[04:52.04] | I' m Avi Arditti. |