美国数十万名公共部门工作人员将被遣散回家,除非华盛顿的政客能够在当地时间午夜之前就政府预算达成协议。国会民主党和共和党之间的关系非常紧张。参议院民主党多数派领袖雷德表示,削减公共资金将会产生非常深远的影响。
"People just want to get a home loan or get their tax refund or their paycheck. It would damage our image and credibility around the world. But Republicans are asking me to sacrifice my wife's health, my daughters' health and my nine granddaughters' health. They're asking me to sacrifice the health of women in Nevada and around-all across this country. Mr President, I'm not gonna be part of it, I won't do it."
“人们只是想得到房屋贷款,或者退税,或者他们的薪水。这样做会毁坏我们在全世界范围的形象和信誉。但是共和党人要求我牺牲我的妻子,我的女儿和我的九个孙女的健康。他们要求我牺牲内华达州和全国各地的女性的健康。总统先生,我不会支持这一点,我不会这样做。”
A BBC correspondent in Washington says their reputation is likely to be damaged if they failed to reach a consensus.
BBC驻华盛顿一名记者表示,如果他们不能达成协议,政府的声誉可能会受到影响。
The Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has described an air strike on a column of Lybian rebel tanks as a very unfortunate incident and said he regretted the loss of life. The Nato attack near Ajdabiya in eastern Libya killed several people. Mr Rasmussen said Nato was acting in a complex situation.