Biden calls for changes to Senate filibuster to pass voting rights bills

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Biden calls for changes to Senate filibuster¹ to pass voting rights bills

Transcript²

In a speech in Georgia, President Biden called for passage of voting rights reforms, including if necessary, getting rid of congressional rules that require 60 senators to support most legislation.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

President Biden put the U.S. Senate in the crosshairs in the debate over voting rights legislation.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I believe that the threat to our democracy's so grave that we must find a way to pass these voting rights bills. Debate them. Vote. Let the majority prevail.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Woo.

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: And if that bare minimum is blocked, we have no option but to change the Senate rules, including getting rid of the filibuster for this.

(CHEERING)

MARTIN: He decided³ to make this announcement in Georgia, a state that swung for Biden and two Democratic senators in the last election cycle.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Some Democratic leaders and organizers want more than Biden's call to change the filibuster. Ahead of yesterday's speech, a coalition⁴ of voting rights groups from Georgia wrote to the White House asking for a concrete plan for passing voting legislation.

Nse Ufot is the CEO of the New Georgia Project, which is one of those groups. And she says the speech was a step in the right direction.

NSE UFOT: How I feel? - like, welcome - finally. We want to see, obviously, the president come here, but not just for a speech. We need a path forward that gets us to the legislation that is required in order to stop these attacks on our elections infrastructure⁵. I don't think that there is anything more important to how we self-govern - right? - our ability to make decisions about the kind of communities that we want to live in. There's nothing more important than our ability to participate in our elections to make sure that the will of the people is reflected in the results of our elections. And the president came with that energy today that we have been asking for for the entire year - and so, yes, finally.

1 filibuster   

n.妨碍议事，阻挠；v.阻挠

参考例句：

• A senator dragged the subject in as a filibuster.一个参议员硬把这个题目拉扯进来，作为一种阻碍议事的手法。
• The democrats organized a filibuster in the senate.民主党党员在参议院上组织了阻挠议事。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。