美国国家公共电台 NPR--McCarthy tries to build support for his plan for big cuts in government spending

McCarthy tries to build support for his plan for big cuts in government spending

Transcript¹

As the U.S. nears default, Democrats² say House Speaker McCarthy's plan is a nonstarter. NPR's Michel Martin talks to Noah Rothman of the National Review about the GOP aim to pass a debt ceiling bill.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Kevin McCarthy is facing his first major test as speaker of the House. He told reporters last night he plans a vote on his plan to cut government spending. That's the price he's put on the table in exchange for agreeing to raise the debt ceiling so the U.S. government can avoid default. And the deadline for that is coming. But he's got a very thin majority and some holdouts in his caucus³. McCarthy was on "Fox News Sunday" trying to ramp⁴ up pressure on the White House to negotiate budget cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FOX NEWS SUNDAY")

KEVIN MCCARTHY: I think as president and the leader of the free world - this is one of the problems we have challenges around this country and around the world. He needs to show leadership and come to the negotiating table instead of put us in default. This is risky⁵, what he's doing. He's threatening the markets.

MARTIN: We called Noah Rothman for his take on the politics of all this. He's a senior writer for National Review, the conservative magazine.

Good morning, Mr. Rothman.

NOAH ROTHMAN: Good morning.

MARTIN: So McCarthy can only afford to lose a few votes from his caucus to pass this bill. What's your take on this? Will he have the votes?

ROTHMAN: Well, it didn't look like he did for most of the week following his speech announcing this plan at the New York Stock Exchange. However, we've had some movement late last night, and the Rules Committee voted to make some peripheral⁶ changes to ethanol tax breaks, for example, and new implementation⁷ of the rules that would rescind⁸ - or impose some work requirements on federal benefits programs. And that may shake the votes loose.

Initially⁹, we had some handful of lawmakers who said they wouldn't vote to raise the debt ceiling under any circumstances, as well as others who didn't want to change work requirements, who wanted to address the primary drivers of the nation's debt - good-faith spending, deficit¹⁰ hawks¹¹. But this might shake the votes loose. And if it does, that does change the calculus¹² substantially for Democrats, and especially the White House, that had convinced itself it didn't have to negotiate at all.

MARTIN: All right. Let me here - I'm going to pause on that thought for just a minute. Let's just - what'll it mean for McCarthy if he can't get his bill passed in the House? I mean, people may remember that kind of ugly battle over attaining¹³ the speakership to begin with. Could this put his speakership in jeopardy¹⁴?

ROTHMAN: It could. I mean, I - if anybody invested in the longevity¹⁵ of Mr. McCarthy's speakership after how he attained¹⁶ it, that was a bad bet. It would certainly jeopardize¹⁷ his speakership if he were to put forward a clean debt-ceiling resolution and rely on Democratic votes to pass it. In that event, yes, his speakership would certainly be imperiled. So that's a big bet from Speaker McCarthy's position. But it's a bet they seem to be invested in to the degree that they're willing to make changes to this package, even when they said they wouldn't.

MARTIN: Tell us a little bit more about what you've learned about what his strategy is for bringing this bill to the floor. How is he firming up these votes?

ROTHMAN: Well, behind-the-scenes negotiations¹⁸ have been very closed, tight lipped. We haven't seen anything approaching a whip count in public - in the public press. In fact, as of last night in Annie Karni's piece in New York Times, the assumption was that the votes were not there. This morning, that calculation has changed following this 2 a.m. rules votes, and I think all bets are off. If they bring it to the floor, I anticipate that they have the assumption that they will manage to get this through very narrowly.

MARTIN: So wait, you heard the statement by Speaker McCarthy saying that, you know, look, this is the White House's problem, and the president is being irresponsible by not negotiating. So far, the Democrats have held firm. But look, the pressure is also on them as he prepares the - as Mr. Biden prepares his 2024 reelection bid. But he's asking for a clean bill, as you said, a budget increase without any concessions¹⁹. Does that calculation change if Speaker McCarthy can present a united Republican front?

ROTHMAN: I think it does, or at the very least, it should. Look, voters saw fit to give Republicans control of the Chamber²⁰, from which all spending bills originate. That is the political reality with which this White House must contend. If the Republicans manage to present a united front to Joe Biden, look, the White House Democrats can demagogue the prospect²¹ of work requirements for federal aid programs. They can say, well, this strips climate change spending and the Inflation Reduction Act, and we don't want that, and you don't want that.

But Republicans have an argument, too. They could say that this administration is holding fast to, for example, unobligated spending that was dedicated²² to the pandemic emergency, which is now over. And that's what you're going to head to a default over? That's what we're playing chicken over? That's a compelling argument as well. I do think that both Democrats and Republicans will have to go to the table if this package passes and Republicans demonstrate that they can actually unify²³ around this plan.

MARTIN: Well, you called it demagoguery. I think that Democrats might argue that, you know, bringing up work requirements at this stage is demagoguery. But having said that, you know, there is such a thing called regular order. As you mentioned, the House has a role - a constitutional role - in setting the budget. Is there any thought at any point in our history that people might return to regular order, where, you know, the White House sends the budget; House and Senate discuss it; they have hearings; they send it back? What is that? Is that even within the realm of possibility in our lifetimes?

ROTHMAN: I mean, it is definitely a lovely thought. We've been talking about it for a decade. You know what the primary obstacle to that is? - is transparency in Washington - as much as we might dislike it. But if we were to record, for example, only major vote tallies²⁴ rather than individual votes, it might make it easier on members to actually return to a regular order budget process.

MARTIN: That is Noah Rothman. He's a senior writer for National Review.

Noah Rothman, thanks so much for talking to us today.

ROTHMAN: Thank you.

1 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。

2 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》

3 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

4 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

5 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

6 peripheral   

adj.周边的，外围的

参考例句：

• We dealt with the peripheral aspects of a cost reduction program.我们谈到了降低成本计划的一些外围问题。
• The hotel provides the clerk the service and the peripheral traveling consultation.旅舍提供票务服务和周边旅游咨询。

7 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

8 rescind   

v.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan.他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。
• Trade Union leaders have demanded the government rescind the price rise.工会领导已经要求政府阻止价格上涨。

9 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

10 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

11 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

12 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

13 attaining   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot's licence. 吉姆就快要拿到飞行员执照了。
• By that time she was attaining to fifty. 那时她已快到五十岁了。

14 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。

15 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

16 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

17 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

18 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。

19 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

20 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

21 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

22 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

23 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

24 tallies   

n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• Cash on hand tallies with the figure in the accounts. 现款跟账上的数目没有出入。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He tallies his own marks. 他把自己的得分记了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》