A year after the Jan. 6 attack, Congress is plagued by a toxic atmosphere

搜索

复制

A year after the Jan. 6 attack, Congress is plagued by a toxic¹ atmosphere

Transcript²

Trump³ supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.

A year after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, some lawmakers still can't believe that Congress itself came under siege.

"More and more it becomes surreal. You become a combination of angry as well as shocked," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, told NPR, standing⁴ in Statuary Hall, where rioters stormed through on their way to try to disrupt the electoral count on the House floor.

The insurrection left a mark on lawmakers, staffers, reporters and the Capitol police force, which was overwhelmed by thousands of rioters. More than 140 police officers were injured that day and several died in the aftermath. Over 700 people who breached⁵ the building have been arrested.

Jackson Lee said it has become harder to work across the aisle⁶. She added that it's especially challenging when Republicans continue to press false claims about the 2020 election.

"I wish that we had better understanding of each other and we had more common ground for the truth," Jackson Lee said.

She presided over the House chamber⁷ at the conclusion of the electoral vote count at almost 4 a.m., after National Guard troops helped secure the building.

"That's why we should be celebrating Jan. 6 because we, as members who took an oath to the Constitution, came back and continued our count in the eye of danger."

Where the Jan. 6 insurrection investigation⁸ stands, one year later

Members and staff say relationships across the aisle have suffered since that day, and it has affected⁹ the tenor¹⁰ of the workplace. Democrats¹¹ say the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and his years in office heightened divisions on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., believes things were bad before Jan. 6 but said events that day just threw gasoline on the fire.

"It has certainly accelerated, I think, the polarization and the partisanship¹² and the tension that exists in the House," he told NPR.

Security fears prompted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to install metal detectors¹³ to screen members entering the House chamber. Republicans complained that they weren't consulted before they went up and said that with the armed security in and around the building, metal detectors aren't needed. But some Democrats said they fear for their safety based on public comments from some GOP lawmakers.

Every time members enter the chamber, it's a reminder¹⁴ that they don't trust each other, and it adds to the toxic and polarizing atmosphere in the House.

Freshman¹⁵ Rep Peter Meijer, R-Mich., said the continued use of the magnetometers is "patronizing and it's a stunt¹⁶."

Meijer had been in office for only three days on Jan. 6 and said "colleagues who have been here longer assure me it isn't always this way, or wasn't always this way, but it's all I've known."

He voted to certify¹⁷ the election results, but 139 House Republicans and eight GOP senators voted to overturn them — hours after the insurrection. Some Democrats now refuse to team up with any Republican who voted against the electoral count.

Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., barely speak, and when they do comment on each other it's usually to deliver a sharply worded barb¹⁸. McCarthy even publicly began calling Pelosi a "lame¹⁹ duck speaker" as the GOP gains confidence that it will regain²⁰ control of the chamber after the 2022 midterm elections.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver²¹, D-Mo., told NPR last month that the lack of trust is still a huge issue, and he blames Jan. 6. He's been a longtime advocate of efforts to promote civility and has focused on ways to do more bipartisan events.

"It makes it far more difficult because I have members in the Democratic caucus²² who have said to me just outright²³, 'I am nervous sitting by this person,' " Cleaver said.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said she does work with some of the Republicans who supported objections to the count, and she thinks of that every times she sees them.

"I will always remember who the people were who didn't support the results of the democracy," she said.

But she also gives credit to those who broke with the former president.

"You get mad, but you still have to acknowledge that there were a number of Republicans who voted to uphold the Electoral College. And I think that's very important for our country, and that's why they were there on the inaugural²⁴ stage."

Republicans initially²⁵ criticized Trump's role but quickly reversed course

In the days after the attack, many Republicans, including McCarthy, called out Trump's role.

"The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters," McCarthy said on Jan. 13. "He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding."

But as the party's base has stood by Trump, that criticism has faded, and McCarthy opposed a bipartisan bill to create an outside commission to investigate the riot. He boycotted²⁶ the select committee set up in the House after Pelosi objected to two GOP lawmakers he picked to serve on the panel.

A year later, the vast majority of the GOP's rank and file are slamming Democratic leaders for security failures on Jan. 6 instead of calling out the former president for inciting²⁷ a mob. And some Trump loyalists continue to downplay the threat that day, comparing those who illegally entered the building and attacked police to "tourists." Others in the right wing of the GOP conference have criticized the treatment of those arrested and those still being held on charges of assaulting police.

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney is a rare Republican who says her party should denounce Trump for failing to tamp²⁸ things down that day. She is one of two GOP members Pelosi tapped to help investigate Jan. 6. She told ABC's This Week on Sunday that she views that effort as a hopeful sign.

"I think that the way that the select committee is working is nonpartisan, it is very much one that brings together a group of us who have very different policy views, but who come together when the issues have to do with the defense²⁹ of the Constitution."

But Cleaver said the divide over Jan. 6 has seeped³⁰ into events at home, even ones that aren't political. The former pastor³¹ and Kansas City mayor told NPR he was criticized recently by a constituent³² in his hometown after a Veterans Day event because he mentioned praying for the Capitol police who protected Congress from an attack.

"You cannot even say 'please pray for police officers,' " he said.

In addition to the breakdown³³ of trust, lawmakers are facing an increase in security threats.

Testifying before a Senate panel on Wednesday, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger reported that the force has tracked 9,600 threats against members in the past year. That is more than double the amount five years ago.

Lawmakers use money from their office budgets to hire security personnel when they travel back and forth³⁴ to Washington, and some have a regular police presence with them at events in their districts.

NPR's Claudia Grisales, Barbara Sprunt and Caitlyn Kim contributed to this report.

1 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。

6 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

7 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。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

11 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》

12 Partisanship   

n. 党派性, 党派偏见

参考例句：

• Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
• There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学

13 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

14 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

15 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

16 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

17 certify   

vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给

参考例句：

• I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
• This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。

18 barb   

n.（鱼钩等的）倒钩，倒刺

参考例句：

• The barb of his wit made us wince.他那锋芒毕露的机智使我们退避三舍。
• A fish hook has a barb to prevent the fish from escaping after being hooked.鱼钩上都有一个倒钩以防上了钩的鱼逃走。

19 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

20 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

21 cleaver   

n.切肉刀

参考例句：

• In fact,a cleaver is a class of ax.实际上，切肉刀也是斧子的一种。
• The cleaver is ground to a very sharp edge.刀磨得飞快。

22 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。

23 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

24 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

25 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。

26 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

27 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

28 tamp   

v.捣实，砸实

参考例句：

• Then I tamp down the soil with the back of a rake.然后我用耙子的背将土壤拍实。
• Philpott tamped a wad of tobacco into his pipe.菲尔波特往烟斗里塞了一卷碎烟叶。

29 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。

30 seeped   

v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出

参考例句：

• The rain seeped through the roof. 雨水透过房顶渗透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Icy air seeped in through the paper and the room became cold. 寒气透过了糊窗纸。屋里骤然冷起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

31 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

32 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

33 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

34 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。