VOA常速英语:Automatic US Spending Cuts Loom

短语讲解：

1. Under current U.S. law, automatic cuts to domestic programs and national defense will begin in 2013, because a congressional committee failed to agree on trimming America’s federal deficit.

agree on对某事〔物〕有同样看法, 商定〔同意〕某事, 商定做某事
例句：They agreed on leaving there the next day.
他们一致同意第二天离开那里。

2. Already, many lawmakers say they want to shield favored federal programs from the budget ax, despite a veto threat from President Barack Obama.

shield from使免遭(不幸之事)
例句：She intended to shield the child from the bad information.
她打算不让这个孩子知道这个坏消息。

3. Congressman Howard McKeon said, “National defense has contributed enough to deficit reduction.”

contribute to促成
例句：Your suggestion has greatly contributed to the accomplishment of our work.
你的建议大大地促进了我们工作的完成。

4. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of a “hollowed out” U.S. military.

warn of发出关于…的警告
例句：The weather station warned of severe snowfalls ahead.
气象台预报将有大雪。
hollow out挖空
例句：They hollowed out a tunnel through the mountain.
他们挖通了穿山隧道。

5. “Already, some in Congress are trying to undo these automatic spending cuts. My message is simple: No. I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts," he said.

get rid of 摆脱
例句：He can't get rid of the cold.
他的感冒老是好不了。