-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
In first GOP-led hearing about the border, witnesses paint sharply different pictures
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee used their first hearing of the new Congress to zero in on what they call a crisis at the southern U.S. border.
The committee's chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, presided over a hearing Wednesday billed as "The Biden Border Crisis — Part I." As the name implies, it's the first of what are likely to be many GOP-led hearings on the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Jordan and other Republicans on the committee blamed the administration's policies for the record number of migrant apprehensions2 at the border over the past two years — even as President Biden has kept some of President Trump's key border policies in place, including the pandemic restrictions3 known as Title 42.
Sponsor Message
Some in the GOP majority also amplified4 controversial rhetoric5 about an "invasion" of migrants, and pushed questionable6 claims about how the synthetic7 opioid fentanyl is smuggled8 into the U.S.
Republicans sought to portray9 the surge in migrants as a threat to communities across the country, while Democrats11 accused them of fear-mongering and spreading misinformation.
"It is open. The border is dangerous," said Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona. "Drugs pour across, international terrorists, criminal gang members, people from all over the world."
The Biden administration disputes that the border is open, and argues that its recent enforcement measures have led to a drop in the number of illegal border crossings in recent weeks.
But no Biden administration officials were called to testify, leaving Democrats on the committee to defend their record.
"The Biden administration actually expelled over 1.1 million people last year. And recently expanded the use of Title 42, much to the concern of many of us on the committee," said the committee's ranking member, Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, who described the hearing as "political theater."
Dubious12 assertions about fentanyl smuggling13
Republicans on the committee also sought to focus attention on the growing number of deaths from fentanyl, which is often smuggled across the southern border from Mexico.
The committee heard testimony14 from Brandon Dunn, whose 15-year-old son died of fentanyl poisoning last year. Dunn and his wife co-founded a nonprofit group called Forever 15 to spread awareness15 about fentanyl poisoning.
"Any amount smuggled in a backpack or a fanny pack even in somebody's pocket can be enough to kill thousands of people," Dunn said.
Committee members of both parties offered their condolences to Mr. Dunn — but differed sharply in their interpretations16 of his testimony.
Democrats pointed17 out that the vast majority of fentanyl seizures18 happen at official ports of entry, often in vehicles driven by U.S. citizens. Experts say a relatively19 small fraction is seized by Border Patrol agents between the ports of entry, while virtually none is seized from migrants who are turning themselves in to seek asylum20.
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat10 from Pennsylvania, accused Republicans of attempting to "conflate the issues of migrants seeking asylum through our legal processes with the very real scourge21 of fentanyl trafficking."
But Republicans say there is a connection, because large numbers of migrants crossing the border are distracting Border Patrol agents from doing their jobs.
"The Border Patrol is now distracted processing human beings," said Texas Rep. Chip Roy. "The border patrol can't possibly catch all of the fentanyl at the ports of entry, nor catch all of the fentanyl between the ports of entry."
White House spokesperson Ian Sams responded Wednesday evening, saying, "Funding secured by the president has allowed his administration to seize record levels of fentanyl before it even crosses our borders." He added, "After decades of congressional inaction, House Republicans should join President Biden to roll up their sleeves to pass comprehensive immigration reform and strengthen border security – building on the record funding for border security the President has already secured, which most House Republicans opposed."
Witnesses paint sharply different pictures of the border
The committee also heard from a pair of law enforcement officials in border communities, who painted starkly22 different pictures of the current situation.
The border is "the worst I've seen it," said Sheriff Mark Dannels of Cochise County in southern Arizona. He says his resources are stretched thin trying to help Border Patrol agents catch migrants who try to sneak23 through the desert.
"The morale24 of agents is extremely low, and the collective frustration25 is very high amongst law enforcement at all levels," Dannels said. "This is the largest crime scene in this country."
But the committee also heard from El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, who described a completely different scenario26. "There is no open border in El Paso," Samaniego said, explaining that migrants there routinely turn themselves in to Border Patrol for processing in an orderly fashion.
Samaniego testified that local officials and nonprofit groups have been working closely for years with Border Patrol and other immigration authorities, and have developed a workable strategy for dealing27 with large numbers of migrants seeking protection in the U.S.
"Humanitarianism28 and security are not a binary29 choice. It is the federal government's responsibility to do both," Samaniego said.
Heated rhetoric about 'invasion'
Several times, Republicans on the committee suggested that the Biden administration was deliberately30 encouraging migrants to cross the border illegally. Rep. Roy of Texas went even further, invoking31 the word "invasion" to describe the flow of migrants across the border.
Critics have linked that term to the so-called Replacement32 Theory, the false conspiracy33 theory that Democrats are deliberately trying to replace white Americans with immigrants of color for political gain.
Judge Samaniego of El Paso rejected that framing.
"There is no invasion of migrants in our community. Nor are there hordes34 of immigrants committing crimes against citizens or causing havoc35 in our community," Samaniego said. "Claiming this continues a false racist36 narrative37."
1 transcript | |
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 apprehensions | |
疑惧 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 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: |
|
|
4 amplified | |
放大,扩大( amplify的过去式和过去分词 ); 增强; 详述 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 rhetoric | |
n.修辞学,浮夸之言语 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 questionable | |
adj.可疑的,有问题的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 synthetic | |
adj.合成的,人工的;综合的;n.人工制品 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 smuggled | |
水货 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 portray | |
v.描写,描述;画(人物、景象等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 democrat | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 democrats | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 dubious | |
adj.怀疑的,无把握的;有问题的,靠不住的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 smuggling | |
n.走私 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 testimony | |
n.证词;见证,证明 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 awareness | |
n.意识,觉悟,懂事,明智 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 interpretations | |
n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 );表演;演绎;理解 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 seizures | |
n.起获( seizure的名词复数 );没收;充公;起获的赃物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 relatively | |
adv.比较...地,相对地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 asylum | |
n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 scourge | |
n.灾难,祸害;v.蹂躏 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 starkly | |
adj. 变硬了的,完全的 adv. 完全,实在,简直 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 sneak | |
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝);偷偷摸摸做;n.潜行;adj.暗中进行 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 morale | |
n.道德准则,士气,斗志 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 frustration | |
n.挫折,失败,失效,落空 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 scenario | |
n.剧本,脚本;概要 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 dealing | |
n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 humanitarianism | |
n.博爱主义;人道主义;基督凡人论 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 binary | |
adj.二,双;二进制的;n.双(体);联星 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 deliberately | |
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 invoking | |
v.援引( invoke的现在分词 );行使(权利等);祈求救助;恳求 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 replacement | |
n.取代,替换,交换;替代品,代用品 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 conspiracy | |
n.阴谋,密谋,共谋 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 hordes | |
n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 );部落 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 havoc | |
n.大破坏,浩劫,大混乱,大杂乱 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 racist | |
n.种族主义者,种族主义分子 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 narrative | |
n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|