国际英语新闻:New US Congress Sworn In
A new U.S. Congress was sworn into office Thursday, but it will quickly face an old dispute about the country's burgeoning debt and in the coming weeks controversial new gun control and immigration proposals.
The Congress leaving office squabbled this week in its final days over contentious tax and spending legislation before finally agreeing to increase taxes on the wealthiest American families. The new Congress, the country's 113th, faces a renewed debate over increasing the country's $16.4 trillion borrowing cap, a debt ceiling the government reached earlier this week.
As part of the opening day of ceremonies, the majority Republicans in the House of Representatives again chose Ohio congressman John Boehner as Speaker, the top position in the chamber. By U.S. law, he also is second in the line of succession for the presidency, behind Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
In a time-honored ceremony, Biden swore in new and re-elected senators, asking them whether they swore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution:
"Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you God?"
The U.S. government said it can keep paying its bills for another two months, but by then will need to have the borrowing limit increased - or face an uNPRecedented circumstance, running out of money and defaulting on some of its financial obligations. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, said he will not negotiate with Congress over raising the debt ceiling, but Republican lawmakers said they plan to use the borrowing debate to try to win sharp concessions from Obama to cut government spending.
相关文章
- 欧美文化:Emergency rooms see more gun violence victims in U.S. in 1st year of pandemic: CNN
- 欧美文化:Sri Lankan military authorized to maintain law, order amid unrest
- 欧美文化:Russian FM visits Algeria to mark 60th anniversary of ties
- 欧美文化:Spanish government sacks spy chief after phone tapping scandal
- 欧美文化:Turkey, Kazakhstan aim to reach 10 bln USD in bilateral trade: president
- 欧美文化:UN chief condemns attacks on civilians by armed group in DRC
- 欧美文化:Moroccan, Egyptian FMs discuss prospects of bolstering cooperation
- 欧美文化:Macron visits Berlin on first foreign trip after re-election
- 欧美文化:Ukrainian president, Swedish PM discuss defense support for Ukraine over phone
- 欧美文化:Lebanon condemns deadly attack in Egypt's Sinai