quinta-feira, 22 de janeiro de 2015

94. Congress and President return to Washington

   


The 114th Congress began meeting1 for the first time2 on Monday as President Barack Obama returned from his vacation3 in Hawaii.

The Republican Party4 now controls the United States Congress. Voter selected enough5 Republican candidates to give that party majorities6 in the House7 and Senate in elections last November. Political observers say the next two years will be difficult for both8 President Obama, a Democrat, and his political opponents.

Mr. Obama will have to defend his current policies9 from change10. Republicans must show that they can work with the president on issues11 that are important to all Americans and to Republican voters12.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told13 CNN Sunday that a government divided between a Republican Congress and a Democratic president can still work14. He said voters want the government to make progress on important issues. Republicans oppose the president on health care15, immigration and Cuba

However16, many Republican lawmakers17 want to weaken18 some of the programs approved earlier19 in Mr. Obama’s presidency. They include the Affordable20 Care Act21, which many call Obamacare. It requires22 most Americans to buy health insurance23.

Many legislators also want to end the president’s new immigration policy. The policy24 lets many people who entered the country illegally stay and possibly seek U.S. citizenship25. Republicans are also critical of the president’s recent decision to open diplomatic relations with Cuba. For more than 50 years, the United States had sought26 to isolate the communist nation. Many Republicans do not believe that policy should have changed27. Policy towards28 Ukraine, Islamic State and Iran also in dispute.

Republican lawmakers29 are often quick to criticize30 Mr. Obama on his foreign policy31. Senator Bob Corker will become32 the new chairman33 of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He had this to say: “I have no earthly idea34 how the administration plans to go about35 degrading and destroying IS in Syria.”

Senator John McCain has also been critical of how Obama has dealt with36 the conflict in Ukraine. He said: “This president (Obama) does not understand Vladimir Putin. He does not understand his ambitions, he does not understand that Vladimir Putin is an old KGB colonel bent on37 restoration of the Russian Empire.”

International negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program are to restart38 in a week. Senator Corker and other Republicans have said lawmakers may support39 stronger restrictions on Iran if the negotiations fail40.

President Obama threatens41 vetoes42.To his critics, President Obama has said he will use his veto power if Congress tries to change his policies. Other members of Congress have already looked ahead43 to the next election. Chuck Schumer is a Democratic Senator from New York. He had this to say on CNN’s State of the Union program:

“If we put together44 a strong economic message aimed at the middle class45, not only will it unify46 our party, but we can actually47 do really well48 in 2016.”
I’m Caty Weaver.

Vocabulary

01.   began meeting = começou a se reunir
02.   for the first time = pela primeira vez
03.   vacation = férias
04.   Republican Party = partido republicano
05.   Enough = suficiente
06.   Majorities = maiorias
07.   House = (House of representatives) = Camara dos Deputados
08.   Both = ambos
09.   current policies = politicas atuais
10.   change = mudança
11.   issues = questões
12.   voters = eleitores
13.   told = disse
14.   can still work = ainda pode funcionar
15.   health care = assistencia médica
16.   However = contudo
17.   Lawmakers = legisladores
18.   Weaken = enfraquecer
19.   Earlier = anteriormente
20.   Affordable = acessivel
21.   Care Act = ato de proteção
22.   Requires = exige
23.   health insurance = seguro de saúde
24.   policy = diretriz, politica
25.   seek U.S. citizenship = buscar cidadania Americana
26.   had sought = tinha buscado
27.   should have changed = deveria ter mudado
28.   towards = em direção a
29.   lawmakers = legisladores
30.   criticize = criticar
31.   foreign policy = politica exterior
32.   will become = vai se tornar-se
33.   chairman = president
34.   I have no earthly idea = não tenho a menor idéia
35.   plans to go about = planeja fazer
36.   has dealt with= tem lidado com
37.   bent on = empenhado em
38.   restart = reiniciar
39.   may support = podem apoiar
40.   fail = falhar
41.   threatens = ameaça
42.   vetoes = vetos
43.   have already looked ahead = já tem olhado à frente
44.   put together = juntar, reunir
45.   aimed at the middle class = direcionada à classe media
46.   unify = unificar
47.   actually = realmente

48.   do really well = ir realmente bem