美国国家公共电台 NPR Congress Passes $1.3 Trillion Government Funding Bill, Averts Shutdown

 

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Congress is less than three days away from another government shutdown deadline, and they have just released a $1.3 trillion bill that's more than 2,000 pages. There's only one problem. Nobody seems to know how they'll rush the legislation through before the Friday night deadline. NPR congressional reporter Kelsey Snell is here to walk us through what we know. Hey, Kelsey.

KELSEY SNELL, BYLINE¹: Hi, Ailsa.

CHANG: So 2,000 pages - that's huge. What's in this thing?

SNELL: It is a whopper of a bill based on that big budget deal that Congress passed after the shutdown earlier this year. Now, this bill takes care of funding the spending that that legislation set up. Now, Democrats² and Republicans are both claiming a lot of victories here. That's partially³ because there's a little something for everybody in this bill. Republicans are celebrating big increases in military spending, and it's been in nearly press release and statement we've seen. And Democrats are celebrating more money for community health centers, early childhood education and fighting opioid addiction⁴.

But there have been some troubles. That's in part because there was a slew⁵ of unrelated policy add-ons commonly known as riders. And they have been a real problem throughout this whole process. A few of the big highlights there - first, the bill would change the Federal Background Check system for gun purchases. So the different jurisdictions⁶ communicate with each other better when someone commits a crime. So if somebody commits a crime and then wants to buy a gun, it's more likely to be in this system.

CHANG: OK.

SNELL: Another big item that was a big sticking point is money for border security. Now, you'll remember President Trump⁷ wanted $25 billion for building a border wall. Now, this includes about 1.6 billion, and that would only go toward building fencing along the border, repairing fencing and beefing up border security. Democrats are spinning it as a victory because the money would come with some tight restrictions⁸ - no money for a concrete wall or new immigration agents. And it would explicitly⁹ protect the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

CHANG: Well, if both sides here got something that they want, what took so long for them to put this bill together?

SNELL: One major issue has been the fight over what to do about immigrants who are protected under Deferred¹⁰ Action for Childhood Arrivals. That's DACA. This does nothing for them even though that's the thing that Democrats shut the government down over earlier this year - over that exact same issue. And some conservatives, particularly in the House, are really not very excited. They're mad that there isn't money to build the wall. They are mad that the bill would add to the deficit¹¹. And they're mad that the bill includes money for domestic programs like Democrats are celebrating. Here's what Ohio Congressman¹² Jim Jordan told reporters earlier today.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JIM JORDAN: That is not in any way close to what the election was about, close to what we campaigned on, close to what we told the American people we were going to accomplish if they gave us the privilege to serve and be in power.

CHANG: Well, President Trump is often closely aligned¹³ with conservative Republicans like Jim Jordan. Do we know if the White House agrees with them? I mean, will they support his?

SNELL: Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell went to the White House earlier today to talk to the president specifically about the victories they see in this bill. After they left the meeting, the White House released a statement saying that they talked about victories and talked about supporting the spending bill. So as far as we know, the White House is on board.

CHANG: OK then. Well, how likely is it then that this deal still won't come through and we may be looking at another government shutdown?

SNELL: Leaders and staff keep promising¹⁴ me that we will not have another shutdown. All four leaders - House, Senate, Democrats, Republicans - all say they like the bill. The House has the tools available to speed things through, but there's always the Senate.

CHANG: Yeah.

SNELL: Things can go pretty slowly here. And technically¹⁵ speaking, they have to wait through dozens of hours of debate before a bill can finally pass. But if all hundred senators agree, they can go fast. Now, all eyes are on Rand Paul because he forced a technical shutdown in February after he wanted the Senate to keep debating into the wee hours of the morning. We'll have to see how he feels now that the actual legislation is here.

CHANG: That's NPR congressional reporter Kelsey Snell. Thanks, Kelsey.

SNELL: Thank you.

1 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。

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 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

4 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

5 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

6 jurisdictions   

司法权( jurisdiction的名词复数 )； 裁判权； 管辖区域； 管辖范围

参考例句：

• Butler entreated him to remember the act abolishing the heritable jurisdictions. 巴特勒提醒他注意废除世袭审判权的国会法令。
• James I personally adjudicated between the two jurisdictions. 詹姆士一世亲自裁定双方纠纷。

7 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。

8 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

9 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

11 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。

12 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

13 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

14 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

15 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。