美国国家公共电台 NPR--How the White House is responding to Roe v. Wade

How the White House is responding to Roe¹ v. Wade²

Transcript³

White House Gender⁴ Policy Coordinator⁵ Jennifer Klein talks about the administration's plan to assist women now that abortion⁶ laws are being decided⁷ by states following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The Supreme⁸ Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has created a legal mess in this country. The latest example is in Texas. The attorney general there, Ken⁹ Paxton, is suing the Biden administration over federal rules that say abortions¹⁰ are legal if the life of the mother is in jeopardy¹¹. Before that suit came down, I talked with Jennifer Klein. She's the executive director of the White House Gender Policy Council. The Biden administration is feeling pressure from two sides - Republican states trying to further restrict abortion and progressive Democrats¹² who say that the administration's response has been too little too late, despite an executive order the president signed that tries to shore up protections for abortion providers and access to reproductive health care.

You knew this was coming. The White House knew that this moment was coming, especially after the leaked decision. Why didn't the president have the executive order at hand, ready to sign the very same date that the Dobbs decision came down? Why did it take 14 days?

JENNIFER KLEIN: When the decision came down, the president immediately gave a speech with two particular actions in mind. The first was to preserve access to medication abortion and contraception, vitally needed reproductive health services. And the second was to ensure that we are protecting people's fundamental right to travel to seek reproductive health services. So...

MARTIN: And I want to get into some of the specifics of the executive order, but why wasn't it just ready to go?

KLEIN: Well, you know, we had a leaked opinion, and we all assumed that the leaked opinion was the opinion. But we didn't know that, and we wanted to be sure that we were responding to the actual decision in the Supreme Court. And we also didn't know exactly what states were going to do. Again, we anticipated that they would begin immediately, as they did, to pass restrictions¹³ and bans on abortion services, and in fact, that's exactly what happened.

So, first of all, I always take issue with the insinuation that two weeks was a long time. I think two weeks is actually a very short time. And the president really said this himself. But I understand the frustration¹⁴. I feel it myself. I understand the fury at the Supreme Court for taking away women's fundamental rights to abortion. But here's what we all need to keep in mind, which is that you can't replace the overturning of nearly 50 years of precedent¹⁵ with executive action.

And really, the longer-term effective solution, which, again, the president laid out very quickly and, again, you know, days later spoke¹⁶ to the need to - for an exemption¹⁷ to the filibuster¹⁸ rule to make sure this happens. What we need is national legislation. That legislation exists. It's passed the House. We need it to pass the Senate. It's called the Women's Health Protection Act, and it would effectively restore the protections that are in Roe. And we need members of Congress who reflect the will of the - of their constituents¹⁹, the will of the majority, who disagree with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe and feel that abortion should be legal nationwide.

MARTIN: Let me ask, though - half of U.S. states had trigger laws or other abortion bans that were already in place before the Dobbs decision. So more than a dozen had passed laws specifically designed to take effect if Roe was overturned. So was there really any doubt about what states were going to do?

KLEIN: I didn't mean to suggest there is doubt about what states are going to do. But let me be clear - what has ensued is legal chaos²⁰. I mean, not only do states have trigger laws; they also had what are called zombie laws, laws that were on the books that - you know, nobody knew whether they would, in fact, go back into place. And, of course, as we've seen, states have either already held special sessions to enact²¹ restrictive laws or they're planning to go ahead and do that in their next legislative²² session.

So, you know, anybody who suggests that what has happened is clarity in the law is really missing the point. You know, I'm talking to governors, state and local officials, legislators across the country, all of whom are trying to figure out, as cases wind their way through the courts, exactly what law does control and what risk patients have, providers have and they as state and local officials have.

MARTIN: So let's talk about that. The White House has been trying to reassure²³ abortion providers that, in an emergency, if a woman's health is in question, they are still legally permitted to carry out abortions. But if you're an abortion doctor in Texas, there's a real risk that in doing so, you're going to risk state prosecution²⁴, and the case is going to wind up in the courts. Is your message to these doctors just do the procedure anyway, and we'll deal with the legal stuff on the other end?

KLEIN: No, our message to providers is, you know, what you are experiencing is real and deeply concerning, and that's why the Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance affirming that the Emergency Medical Treatment Active Labor²⁵ Act - what people refer to as EMTALA - protects providers that offer abortion services in emergency situations. Secretary Becerra also, as I'm sure you've seen, issued a letter to providers making clear that federal law preempts²⁶ state law restricting access to abortion in emergency situations.

MARTIN: But if a state or local prosecutor²⁷ tries to charge a doctor for providing care in an emergency or prosecute²⁸ someone for helping²⁹ a friend who's trying to get an abortion across state lines, what assurances can the Biden administration offer these people?

KLEIN: Yeah, I think the problem you've pointed³⁰ to is real. The risks are falling to patients, and the risks are falling to providers. You know, providers are even concerned about offering, for example, mifepristone in the case of miscarriage³¹ management because they're not sure whether they're going to be prosecuted³² in a state which now has restrictions on mifepristone or on bans. The Biden administration is very clear about what we can do within executive action to protect patients, providers and this right, this fundamental right that has been ripped away by the Supreme Court. But I think we all have to be realistic that it's going to be, you know, not months but years before there is a deeper understanding of what the impact is on human beings across this country.

MARTIN: The president has said it's time to eliminate the filibuster as a result of the Dobbs decision. How's he going to make that happen?

KLEIN: I'm not going to speak to the conversations that the president has, but, you know, he is working to make that happen.

MARTIN: Before she left her position last week, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield gave a statement to The Washington Post, pushing back against critics of the administration who have complained of a lackluster response. And I'm going to read part of this here. Quote, "Joe Biden's goal in responding to Dobbs is not to satisfy some activists³⁴ who've been consistently out of step with the mainstream³⁵ of the Democratic Party; it's to deliver help to women who are in danger and assemble a broad-based coalition³⁶ to defend a woman's right to choose." NPR/PBS/Marist did a poll recently showing that roughly two-thirds of Americans did not want Roe overturned. So how are abortion rights activists out of step with the mainstream of the party?

KLEIN: They're not out of step, and that was not what was intended by Kate's statement. The point we want to make is that we are doing everything we can as quickly as we can to address, you know, an issue that is now in front of all of us. We are considering every option, and we will continue to do that to make sure that we can protect reproductive rights, health and justice.

MARTIN: She may not have meant to say that, but that's what she said, and it's caused a big rift³⁷ with progressives in the party. Rebecca Traister wrote a piece for New York magazine, and this is what it says in particular about Bedingfield's remark. Quote, "Democratic leadership reflexively treats its activist³³ flank - very often, people advocating for more humane³⁸ policies for more people - as the enemy." Do you want to respond to that?

KLEIN: I think what we really need to do is focus on the real enemy here. And, you know, I wouldn't even use that term. But I think the stakes are really clear and the contrast is really clear between those who want to protect reproductive rights and health and those who - you know, by the way, Republicans have been quite clear on the Hill that if given the chance, they would pass a nationwide ban. So I think we all should just keep our eye on the ball that what has just happened is that the Supreme Court has acted to take away a constitutional right that has been protected for nearly 50 years, and what we need to do is pass national federal legislation to protect that because it takes all of us. It is going to continue to take all of us to actually address this issue.

MARTIN: What exactly is the legislative approach here, though? Because it would take a monumental win by Democrats in the fall that would defy patterns of American politics to get the votes needed to codify³⁹ Roe? Would the White House accept a compromise bill that doesn't go as far?

KLEIN: I certainly don't think we are there yet. I mean, the Women's Health Protection Act is going to be voted on again very soon. So I really think that what we need to focus on is trying to pass that piece of legislation. It exists. It passed the House. And we need just a few more votes in the Senate for it to pass the Senate.

MARTIN: But is that realistic? I mean, are you close to getting those votes at all?

KLEIN: We're going to keep trying. And we are doing everything we can, and we'll continue to, to work with whoever on the Hill is willing to work with us to make that happen.

MARTIN: You've noted⁴⁰ a strong majority of American voters oppose overturning Roe v. Wade - we talked about that - and support access to abortion in many or most situations. Why have Democrats had a hard time effectively harnessing public opinion to protect abortion rights? What's missing from a national strategy here?

KLEIN: I don't think anything's missing. And I think that what we have seen is a very determined⁴¹, intense minority determining policy. And I think that moment is over because the Supreme Court has acted to overturn Roe. And, you know, as people who maybe didn't even realize what was going to happen, maybe didn't even believe that this was going to happen, are now shocked into realizing that is exactly what did happen. And I think, you know, what you're seeing is the majority of people who have long supported reproductive rights are now even more motivated to ensure that the people who represent them respect those rights and will fight for those rights.

MARTIN: Jennifer Klein is executive director of the White House Gender Policy Council. She heads the Biden administration's effort responding to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We so appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

KLEIN: Thanks for having me.

1 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？

2 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。

3 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。

4 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

5 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

6 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。

7 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。

8 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。

9 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

10 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

11 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

12 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》

13 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

14 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

15 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

16 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

17 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

18 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。

19 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

21 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

22 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

23 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

24 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

25 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

26 preempts   

先占

参考例句：

• The Clean Water Act expressly provides that it does not preempt more stringent state law. 《洁净水法案》明确规定，该法并不先占更为严格的州法律。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• They do not preempt the land surface that is useful for other purposes. 它们不预先占用对其它目的有用的地面。 来自辞典例句

27 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

28 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？

29 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

30 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

31 miscarriage   

n.失败，未达到预期的结果；流产

参考例句：

• The miscarriage of our plans was a great blow.计划的失败给我们以巨大的打击。
• Women who smoke are more to have a miscarriage.女性吸烟者更容易流产。

32 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

33 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

34 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

36 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。

37 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

38 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

39 codify   

v.将法律、法规等编成法典

参考例句：

• The noble,Dracon,was asked to codify the laws.贵族德拉古被选为立法者。
• The new government promised to codify the laws.新政府应允要编纂法典。

40 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

41 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。