VOA慢速英语--特朗普批评安理会政治顾问

Trump¹ Criticized for Putting Political Adviser² on Security Council

The Trump administration is being criticized for giving a top political adviser a seat on the president’s National Security Council, or NSC.

Trump recently signed an order making changes to the NSC, which advises the president on national security issues and foreign policy. The order gave Trump’s top strategist Steve Bannon a seat on the NCS’s “principals committee.”

The principals committee also includes top cabinet officials including the secretary of state and secretary of defense³.

The order also changed a requirement for other members of the principals committee – the Chairman of the Joint⁴ Chiefs of Staff and the Director of National Intelligence. These individuals will no longer be required to attend all meetings of the committee. They will only have to attend when "issues pertaining⁶ to their responsibilities and expertise⁷ are to be discussed."

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked whether the changes amounted to a demotion for the two officials. He called that idea “nonsense.” He said the order did not change the fact that those positions are still part of the NSC. Spicer added that the change will allow the officials to avoid some meetings that don’t directly relate to their departments.

Some are critical of Bannon’s seat in the NSC

Most of the criticism of Trump’s NSC reorganization has focused on Bannon. He was a close political adviser to Trump throughout his campaign and was appointed as his top strategist in the White House.

Leon Panetta served in past administrations as secretary of defense and director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He told CNN he was concerned about Trump giving a seat on the NSC to a political adviser.

The purpose of the NSC is to provide the president with the best advice from the top national security experts, Panetta said. “It isn’t to have a political adviser who is going to make recommendations based on what polls well. That’s the worst thing you could do.”

Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine serves on the Select Committee on Intelligence. She told Maine Public Radio,

“(Bannon) does not have the expertise that the director of National Intelligence or the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have, and this is entirely⁸ inappropriate.”

Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, praised Trump’s national security team overall. But he criticized the choice of Bannon. He called the appointment “a radical⁹ departure from any National Security Council in history.”

Spicer responded to the criticisms by pointing out Bannon’s experience in the Navy and with international affairs. "He is a former naval¹⁰ officer. He's got a tremendous understanding of the world and the geopolitical landscape that we have now," Spicer told ABC's This Week.

He added that "having the chief strategist for the president in those meetings, who has a significant military background, to help make and guide what the president's final analysis is going to be, is “crucial.”

Is it legal?

Some critics have cited a part of US law that outlines the legal structure of the NSC. The law mentions a requirement for NSC members to be appointed by the president, as well as “by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”

However, some legal experts who studied Trump’s order have concluded that Bannon likely does not require approval from the U.S. Senate to sit on the NSC committee.

One expert noted¹¹ that Trump’s order designates Bannon as an “invitee” to attend all meetings of the NSC, but not as a full member of the committee.

Legal scholar Laurence Tribe from America’s Harvard University Law School tweeted his opinion on the issue. He said he does not believe Bannon needs Senate confirmation¹² to serve on the principals committee, which in his words "isn’t part of the NSC as such.”

Tribe added that “the role Bannon has been given is crazy and dangerous, but it doesn't seem to violate any law, though it probably should.”

Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia announced he will introduce legislation to clarify who can legally serve on the NSC. He called Trump’s choice of Bannon “misguided” and “deeply troubling.”

Warner’s bill would require Congressional approval for a non-Senate confirmed political choice such as Bannon to the NSC. However, the legislation has little chance of passing in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Words in This Story

strategist – n. person good at making plans for achieving successful goals

pertain⁵ – v. relate to something

demotion – n. change in rank to a lower position

inappropriate – adj. not suitable

clarify – v. make something clear or easier to understand

landscape – n. particular area of activity

crucial – adj. extremely important or necessary

consent – n. permission for something to happen

designate – v. choose someone for a purpose or position

1 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。

2 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 pertain   

v.(to)附属，从属；关于；有关；适合，相称

参考例句：

• His remark did not pertain to the question.他的话同这个问题不相干。
• It does not pertain to you to instruct him.你不适合教训他。

6 pertaining   

与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to)

参考例句：

• Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。

7 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

9 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

10 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

11 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。

12 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。