US President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs for a visit to the US southern border area in Texas from the White House in Washington, January 10, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
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US President Donald Trump made a televised plea for border wall funding Tuesday night, seeking an edge in the shutdown battle with congressional Democrats as he declared there is "a growing humanitarian and security crisis" in the southern border with Mexico.
美国总统特朗普8日晚在电视上喊话拨款修建边境墙,他声称,与墨西哥接壤的南部边境的人道主义危机和安全危机正在加剧,试图在与民主党国会议员的停摆拉锯战中占得先机。
当地时间8日晚9点,特朗普在白宫椭圆形办公室(Oval Office)向全美民众发表黄金时段讲话(prime-time address)。他在讲话中向公众解释他修建边境墙(border wall)的合理性,并表示美墨边境危机正在加剧。因总统和国会无法就预算法案达成共识(budget standoff between the president and Congress),美国政府局部停摆(partial government shutdown)已进入第三周,特朗普此举是为了向最近重掌众议院的民主党施压(put pressure on newly empowered Democrats),迫使其屈服于他对边境墙拨款的要求。
众议院议长佩洛西和参议院民主党领袖舒默在特朗普演讲完毕后立即做出联合回应(joint response)。佩洛西批评特朗普拒绝接受重开联邦政府的两党法案(Trump had rejected bipartisan legislation to reopen the government),"特朗普必须停止将美国人民扣为人质(stop holding the American people hostage),必须停止制造危机(stop manufacturing a crisis),必须重新开放政府(reopen the government)"。舒默则呼吁特朗普将联邦政府的运行和边境安全分别处理,先签署两党有关恢复联邦政府运行的法案,然后再就边界安全的问题进行磋商。民主党曾发誓不会为修建边境墙拨款,他们称此举不道德且无效(immoral and ineffective)。
9日,特朗普与民主党国会领袖(Democratic congressional leaders)就拨款修筑边境墙并结束政府局部停摆状态事宜在白宫进行了商谈。但谈判很不愉快,特朗普怒气冲冲地离开了会场(storm out of the meeting),抱怨此次会面"完全是浪费时间(a total waste of time)"。协商未果意味着美国联邦政府停摆状态仍将持续。11日是美国联邦政府的发薪日,但受政府关门影响,大约80万名联邦雇员无法收到工资单(receive their paycheck)。
[相关词汇]
虚假信息 misinformation
解决分歧 resolve differences
转移注意力 divert attention
升级对抗 escalate confrontation
勉强维持生计 make ends meet