美国国家公共电台 NPR A Third Rail No More: Incoming House Democrats Embrace Gun Control

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This past election, dozens of Democratic candidates in suburban¹ districts made gun control a big issue in their races, and many of them won. That means the new Democratic majority in the House will have a group of lawmakers that feels emboldened² to take on the NRA. Here's NPR's Asma Khalid.

ASMA KHALID, BYLINE³: These new members of Congress are not just coastal⁴ elites⁵. They come from places like Georgia's 6th Congressional District, a seat once held by the conservative icon⁶ Newt Gingrich. And they campaigned on promises to strengthen gun laws.

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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: She'll stand up for common-sense gun laws by standing⁷ up to Trump⁸ and the NRA.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Today our children huddle⁹ in supply closets hoping the next school shooter doesn't take aim at them. Why? Because Washington politicians like John Culberson take...

KIM SCHRIER: When I'm in Congress, I will fight the NRA.

KHALID: That last voice was Kim Schrier, a doctor who won a traditionally GOP district in Washington state.

SCHRIER: It's different to come at this as a pediatrician and not a career politician.

KHALID: And Schrier says something changed this year. Maybe it was Parkland because in her district, she heard about gun safety from moms.

SCHRIER: Women had a big say in this election, and I think that the issue of gun safety resonates there. I know it does.

KHALID: Schrier says she wants to see universal background checks. No doubt, there are still a few Democrats¹⁰ who receive support from the NRA. But on election night, Jason Crow defeated Mike Coffman, a Republican incumbent¹¹ in the Denver suburbs who had an A rating from the NRA.

JASON CROW: Our community has been disproportionately impacted by gun violence over the years, from the Aurora¹² theater shooting to Columbine. And we're going to do something about this.

KHALID: Crow specifically says Congress needs to repeal¹³ the Dickey Amendment¹⁴. That's a law that dates back to the '90s that restricts federal funding for research on gun violence.

CROW: You know, it is way past time for the CDC to have the funding that they need to study this as the public health crisis that it is.

KHALID: Gun control groups say these kinds of political stances weren't just the morally right thing to do. They were politically advantageous¹⁵ this year. The NRA told NPR that gun control was not a decisive factor on Election Day, and it successfully defeated three Democratic senators. But what is indisputable is that gun control groups outspent the NRA this year for arguably the first time ever. John Feinblatt is the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

JOHN FEINBLATT: This issue used to be considered the third rail of American politics but no longer.

KHALID: Peter Ambler¹⁶ agrees. He's the director of Giffords PAC, another gun control group started by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Ambler points out that in the past, some Democrats had shied away from gun legislation.

PETER AMBLER: I remember in 2006 and 2008 when Democrats recruited, you know, so-called NRA Democrats to rebuild their majority in Congress, and the manifestation¹⁷ of that strategy was inaction.

KHALID: Last week the likely incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN she wants action on common-sense background checks. And new members in the House are likely to unify¹⁸ around gun legislation because they made promises on those issues. Lanae Erickson, with the center-left think tank Third Way, says that matters even if this legislation is never signed by President Trump.

LANAE ERICKSON: The House is now going to be the seat of power for Democrats at the federal level. And so it's really going to drive the agenda for what the Democratic Party stands for going into the primary in 2020.

KHALID: Erickson says suburban women have traditionally been supportive of gun safety. And now as the Democratic Party tries to make more inroads into the suburbs, their votes will make up a bigger voice in the Democratic Party's gun policy.

Asma Khalid, NPR News.

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1 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

2 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

6 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 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。

9 huddle   

vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人

参考例句：

• They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
• The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。

10 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》

11 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

12 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

13 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

14 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

15 advantageous   

adj.有利的；有帮助的

参考例句：

• Injections of vitamin C are obviously advantageous.注射维生素C显然是有利的。
• You're in a very advantageous position.你处于非常有利的地位。

16 ambler   

n.以溜步法走的马，慢慢走的人

参考例句：

• Moving its six crab like legs was the easiest part for Ambler. 动动六条蟹爪似的腿对“漫步者”而言还算最轻松的事。 来自互联网
• A robot cannot have a remotely linked head, as Ambler did. 一个宇航机器人不能象“漫步者”那样，身在太空，头在地球。 来自互联网

17 manifestation   

n.表现形式；表明；现象

参考例句：

• Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。
• What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。

18 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。