美国国家公共电台 NPR--Congress races to finish up some big-ticket items during its lame duck session

Congress races to finish up some big-ticket items during its lame¹ duck session

Transcript²

Congress has a lot on its plate before the Republicans take over the House in January. Democrats³ hope to pass a spending bill, and the Jan. 6 committee will issue its final report.

ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:

Congress is racing⁴ to finish up some big-ticket items in this lame-duck session. The January 6 Committee is writing its final report ahead of a public hearing next week. But even more pressing - Congress faces a Friday deadline to avoid a possible government shutdown. NPR congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh joins us now with the latest. Deirdre, hello.

DEIRDRE WALSH, BYLINE⁵: Good morning.

SCHMITZ: So Friday is the deadline for Congress to pass a bill to avoid a possible government shutdown. Are they going to avoid a shutdown?

WALSH: Well, they made some progress on that front last night. Top negotiators announced they have a deal on a framework for a broad spending bill that would fund federal agencies through next fall. But they're going to need more time to finish the detail. This deal would wrap a dozen bills into one massive package. The House is going to pass a short-term bill today that gives negotiators another week. The Senate's expected to take that up before midnight on Friday. This means the new deadline for getting that broader bill together moves to next Friday, December 23. Congress always likes to bump right up to the Christmas holidays.

SCHMITZ: Of course.

WALSH: Yep. The top Senate Republican, Richard Shelby, who negotiated this framework, says if all goes well, they will get it done by then. This spending bill includes things like the Biden administration's request for more money for Ukraine.

SCHMITZ: Right. Are there other bipartisan bills they want to get finished?

WALSH: There is one big one. Since that spending bill is really the last train leaving the station this year on Capitol Hill, leaders want to attach a bipartisan bill to it that clarifies how Congress certifies⁶ the presidential election results. There's broad bipartisan support for getting that update to the law known as the electoral count done before Republicans take control of the House next year so we don't have another January 6. This bill specifies⁷ that the vice⁸ president's role is strictly⁹ ceremonial. And it would increase the threshold for raising any objections to a state's electoral votes.

SCHMITZ: Deirdre, the January 6 Committee has to wrap up by December 31. Do we have some details on their final public meeting?

WALSH: We do. Chairman Bennie Thompson told reporters yesterday the panel's going to have its likely last public meeting on Monday. At that meeting, we're going to learn who the committee believes, according to all this evidence they've compiled, violated any law and should be referred to agencies like the Justice Department for any possible criminal or other charges. Thompson wouldn't get into the list of names that they're considering. But at the top of that list is likely former President Donald Trump¹⁰.

SCHMITZ: Right.

WALSH: We should say - right? - that the committee cannot prosecute¹¹ crimes, but we know that the Justice Department is already doing its own broad investigation¹². So any referrals that the committee makes are more of a symbolic¹³ statement.

SCHMITZ: And what about their final report?

WALSH: That's expected to publicly come out on Wednesday. Thompson admits they are still writing it. It's expected to be eight chapters, hundreds, if not thousands, of pages. But we could see some preview at the hearing on Monday when the committee's going to formally vote to approve it before its public release on Wednesday.

SCHMITZ: So looking ahead to January, Kevin McCarthy was nominated by House Republicans to serve as speaker. But does he have the votes to be elected by the full House when the new Congress begins?

WALSH: Not yet. I mean, Republicans are going to hold just a four-seat majority, so McCarthy can't afford to lose more than four votes. His problem right now is he already has five House Republican hardliners who publicly say they will not support him. So McCarthy is in negotiations¹⁴ with them right now. His supporters say there's no alternative candidate who can win. They admit it could take multiple ballots¹⁵, multiple votes, but they predict he will eventually be elected speaker in January.

SCHMITZ: That's NPR's Deirdre Walsh. Deirdre, thank you.

WALSH: Thanks, Rob.

1 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

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 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

5 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。

6 certifies   

（尤指书面）证明( certify的第三人称单数 )； 发证书给…； 证明（某人）患有精神病； 颁发（或授予）专业合格证书

参考例句：

• Authority certifies the identity of sites on the internet. 权威负责向Internet网站授予其标识。
• The paper then certifies this algorithm by infrared image processing. 并且文中使用红外图像对这个算法进行了验证。

7 specifies   

v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• The third clause of the contract specifies steel sashes for the windows. 合同的第三款指定使用钢窗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The contract specifies red tiles, not slates, for the roof. 合同规定屋顶用红瓦，并非石板瓦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 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。

9 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

10 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

11 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

13 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

15 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》