美国国家公共电台 NPR--Biden is scheduled to make a major speech on abortion rights

Biden is scheduled to make a major speech on abortion¹ rights

Transcript²

With midterms just weeks away, Democrats³ are focused on the issue of abortion rights. They are trying to use the Supreme⁴ Court's decision rolling back Roe⁵ v. Wade⁶ to motivate voters.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

President Biden is scheduled to make what the White House is billing as a major speech later today about abortion rights.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Voters in some states are already casting ballots⁷ in the midterm election. Is the focus on abortion going to persuade more Democrats to fill out their ballots, and will it be enough for the party to keep its slim majorities in Congress?

MART?NEZ: I'm going to pose that question and more to our senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. All right. So what are the details of today's speech, and why is the White House saying that President Biden is focusing on this now?

DOMENICO MONTANARO, BYLINE⁸: Well, the White House says this is part of the ongoing⁹ effort by the president and the administration to try and call attention to, quote, "an assault on access to women's health care" by Republican officials. And he'll likely talk about federal and state attempts at restricting abortion rights. Biden and Vice¹⁰ President Kamala Harris have been out there talking about this issue plenty over the last several months. But it's no coincidence that this is coming exactly three weeks to go until ballots have to be cast in these midterm elections. And abortion rights are playing a pretty prominent role all across the country.

MART?NEZ: All right. So how has abortion rights been used in these elections, and has that focus made a difference?

MONTANARO: Yeah. I mean, it's really changed so much in these elections. It's become Democrats' sharpest line of attack against Republicans since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in June, which overturned Roe - that had guaranteed the right to an abortion in this country. It's been so salient for Democrats because people were overwhelmingly opposed to the outright¹¹ overturning of Roe.

Now, we have seen Republicans and Democrats take some liberties in ads in many places. They're accusing the other of being extremists. And if you follow these ads, it seems like every candidate either wants no restrictions¹² or no exceptions, even when that's actually not true in lots of cases. But overall, the divide is pretty clear between most Democrats and Republicans. And for Democrats, it's really been energizing¹³. You know, they've seen huge sums of money and activism go into campaigns and a big surge of enthusiasm. When you combine that with how much Republicans were already fired up with them out of power, all signs here are really pointing to a record turnout for this midterm election.

MART?NEZ: I know polls can be tough to trust, but they do continue to show that Americans list inflation as their top concern. So could Democratic candidates then be making a mistake and leaning too much into the abortion messaging?

MONTANARO: Yeah, and that's pretty consistent across the board. And it's something that has worried some Democrats, especially in those swing districts. People like Elissa Slotkin, congresswoman in Michigan, have tried to make a point of talking about what she and other Democrats have done, and here's something she said in a recent debate about that.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ELISSA SLOTKIN: I authored a bill that said we should suspend the federal gas tax, pressured the president to open up the strategic national reserves because gas under - price of gas underlies¹⁴ so much of that inflation. And then taking costs off people's books - right? - passing prescription¹⁵ drug legislation that starts in January that lowers the price of insulin, of drugs in general, for anyone on Medicare. So it's not perfect. If there was a silver bullet on inflation, it would have been fired.

MONTANARO: Yeah, so there's - the problem there is that it's difficult to make a positive case on inflation when there aren't easy fixes. And Democrats control White House - the White House and Congress. We know presidents get far more credit and far more blame for the economy than they deserve. And people are in a very sour mood right now. Seventy percent of people in our last poll said that the country is headed in the wrong direction, and voters are saying they trust Republicans more on the economy. That makes it much easier for Republicans to simply blame Democrats, especially in those swing districts, most of which are in center-right places.

MART?NEZ: That's NPR's Domenico Montanaro. Thanks a lot.

MONTANARO: You're welcome.

1 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

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 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

6 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

7 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

9 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

12 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

13 energizing   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的现在分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• a refreshing and energizing fruit drink 提神并增加体能的果汁饮料
• The time required after energizing a device, before its rated output characteristics begin to apply. 从设备通电到它开始提供额定输出特性之间所需的时间。 来自辞典例句

14 underlies   

v.位于或存在于（某物）之下( underlie的第三人称单数 )；构成…的基础（或起因），引起

参考例句：

• I think a lack of confidence underlies his manner. 我认为他表现出的态度是因为他缺乏信心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Try to figure out what feeling underlies your anger. 努力找出你的愤怒之下潜藏的情感。 来自辞典例句

15 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。