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  3. The leaders of Detroit’s struggling Big Three automakers are appearing before the Senate today, where prospects of $25 billion i

The leaders of Detroit’s struggling Big Three automakers are appearing before the Senate today, where prospects of $25 billion i

admin2015-03-25  70
问题     The leaders of Detroit’s struggling Big Three automakers are appearing before the Senate today, where prospects of $25 billion in emergency loans to the industry appear to be stalling.
    Amid GOP cries of "corporate welfare," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced a bill yesterday to let the automakers and component suppliers tap into some of the money Congress allotted in the $700 billion financial bailout. Reid, launching a lame-duck session, warned of a "potential meltdown" in the industry with devastating consequences. He said 355,000 people are employed by the industry and 4.5 million more work in related industries. An additional 1 million people, retirees and their relatives, are covered by retirement and medical plans within the industry, he said.
    The Big Three—General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler—have been whipsawed by the faltering economy and credit crunch. But the odds do not look good for Detroit. At the heart of the debate is whether automakers are deserving—as a key point of the U. S. economy—or are, in the words of one high-profile critic, Republican Sefi. Richard Shelby of Alabama, an innovation-averse " dinosaur".
    Shelby, appearing Sunday on Meet the Press, said: "Get rid of the management. Get rid of the boards—the people who brought them to where they are today. This is a dead end. It’s a road to nowhere, and it’s a big burden on the American taxpayer. "
    Republicans attacked the measure on several fronts. Some questioned the rush to judgment; others warned that other industries would soon line up for help. And some charged that the firms brought on their troubles by agreeing to union contracts with wages and benefits costing an average of $73 an hour, compared with $28 an hour for the average private firm.
    GOP Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said the $700 billion rescue was the No. 1 issue when he toured the state recently. "Candidly, the temperature of my constituents was boiling, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and the thermometer was broken," he said. Some opponents prefer that the automakers pursue Chapter 11 reorganizations instead of hitting up Uncle Sam.
    Democrats argue that the $25 billion is only 4 percent of the bigger bailout. Reid’s spokesman, Jim Manley, said the bill has robust language on corporate oversight, taxpayer protections, and executive compensation limits.
    A compromise could be struck if Democrats bowed to GOP pressure and, instead of new loans, rewrote the rules for $25 billion in loans granted to automakers to help them retool factories to build fuel-efficient vehicles. "It’s mind boggling," one Republican said of Democrats" stubbornness. "If I were them, I’d want to get this off my plate before Obama becomes president. "
    The post-election lame-duck session is the last chance to sign off on the measure during this Congress. The bill probably can pass the House, but prospects are full of uncertainty in the Senate, where Democrats need 60 votes to block an expected filibuster. If nothing passes, it could be taken up in January by the next Congress, which will have a broader Democratic majority.
Sen. Arlen Specter is quoted in Paragraph 6 to
选项 A、reflect the reaction of the ordinary people to the bill.
B、illustrate people’s approval of passing the measure.
C、demonstrate the troubles caused by agreeing to union contracts.
D、show the devastating impact of auto industry on society.
答案B
解析 推理判断题。根据题干提示定位至第六段。本题难度较大，考查的是语句在篇章中的意义。Sen．Arlen Specter说the temperature of my constituents was boiling，而且它的上下文都是说各种反对该议案措施的意见，因此可以推断出Republicans从选民的角度，论证反对议案的呼声，故[B]正确。
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