国际英语新闻：Obama invokes "spirit of America" in July 4th address

WASHINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama invoked the "spirit of America" to advocate his domestic agenda in his weekly radio and Internet address broadcasted on Saturday, which is the country's Independence Day.

    The president said the same "unyielding spirit" that once drove the pioneers and Depression-era workers was needed now to push for a national health care overhaul, make major energy policy changes, and deal with a struggling economy.

    "We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it," he said.

    "And on this July 4th, we need to summon that spirit once more. We need to summon the same spirit that inhabited Independence Hall233 years ago today," said Obama.

    The president's energy and health care plans are currently being considered by Congress, where they have encountered questions over their price tag and long-term effects.

    The U.S. Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is the country's national day.

    It commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which declares the nation's independence from Britain.