美国国家公共电台 NPR--A deal on climate, taxes and other issues is a big step forward, Rep. Jayapal says

A deal on climate, taxes and other issues is a big step forward, Rep. Jayapal says

Transcript¹

After months of deadlock², Senate Democrats³ are pushing ahead with some of President Biden's top legislative⁴ issues. NPR's A Martinez talks to Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington about the progress.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

After months of deadlock, Senate Democrats are pushing ahead with some of President Biden's top legislative issues. A new deal brokered⁵ by Senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin aims to tackle climate change, health care costs and inflation. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington has long called for this type of action, and I spoke⁶ with her to get her take on the proposed legislation.

PRAMILA JAYAPAL: Well, I'm really excited that we seem to have taken a big step forward. I think that this goes a long way to addressing a number of critical issues that will lower costs for the American people, that will take on the climate crisis in a very real way, reducing carbon emissions⁷ by 40% by 2030, and that will ultimately make sure that we're making the wealthiest pay their fair share with some changes in our tax system. So it's a good proposal. It's not everything we wanted, but it will be a massive step forward.

MART?NEZ: On what you just said - not everything you wanted - it is a slimmer deal than the one that was originally proposed. How are you going get the House progressives to sign off on this slimmed-down version?

JAYAPAL: I think everybody understands that this is, first of all, the art of the possible. We need to get 50 votes in the Senate. I think also we feel a lot of pride in the fact that we got the Build Back Better bill drafted and passed in the House. A lot of the work that we did is contained in this bill. Once we get this through, we will be able to go out and talk to the American people about what we're doing to address their concerns. And hopefully we'll get a couple more Democrats in the Senate, and we'll be able to pass the rest of it within the next 6 to 8 months. I think we've got the country with us. We just need the numbers in the Senate.

MART?NEZ: And speaking of those numbers in the Senate, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has not commented on the deal. Her office says that she's reviewing the text. How concerned are you that Sinema might derail this?

JAYAPAL: I don't think that will happen. Of course, I'm not speaking for her. I can't possibly speak for her. But I think Senator Schumer has done a great job of reaching this deal with Senator Manchin. Senator Sinema was involved in a lot of the early discussions, and I hope that Senator Schumer - I believe that Senator Schumer is obviously speaking with her as well, and the Senate will do its job just as we did our job back in December.

MART?NEZ: 'Cause the hurdle⁸ with Kyrsten Sinema might be the revenue, the $14 billion in revenue from taxing carried interest. She has indicated that she opposes this, and Joe Manchin has said he is standing⁹ firm on closing that carried interest loophole. I mean, if this doesn't work out where she can't be convinced, I mean, it can't go through. So what happens then?

JAYAPAL: Well, I always believe that we can find a way through. And I really think that Senator Schumer has done a really good job using the base of our Build Back Better bill in getting to a deal with Senator Manchin. And I believe he's going to do the same with Senator Sinema.

MART?NEZ: House Republicans are calling the proposal an attempt to distract from the challenges, the economic challenges that American families are facing. What do you say to those comments?

JAYAPAL: Well, this is an anti-inflation measure. I mean, this is actually going to bring down costs for the American people. We've had all number of economists¹⁰, including some that were critical of the president early on, come out and say exactly why it's anti-inflationary. This is going to help bring down costs. One of the biggest issues in inflation has been gas prices. The fact that we have EV tax credits in here, domestic manufacturing that is going to help wean us off of Russian oil, help us to move people to electric vehicles, get to a clean power grid¹¹ - that is one of the biggest ways that we can beat inflation.

MART?NEZ: You got the midterms coming up. If this thing passes, it could change the narrative¹² for Democrats as they try to hold on to these majorities in the House and the Senate. So there is that part of this deal that could be at stake here.

JAYAPAL: Absolutely, which is why we are going to pass it, because we're going to show people what we can do, and then we're going to go out into our districts, and we're going to talk to people about the fact that their drug prices came down because Democrats made it happen. Their energy costs, their gas prices came down because Democrats made it happen. So I understand why Republicans want to block us. That's what the filibuster¹³ allows them to do time and time again. But we have this reconciliation¹⁴ tool, and thanks to Senator Schumer and Senator Manchin's negotiations¹⁵, I believe we have the opportunity now to show people that we really are going to fight for them.

MART?NEZ: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington is the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus¹⁶. Congresswoman, thanks a lot for your time.

JAYAPAL: Thank you so much.

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 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

3 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》

4 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

5 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

8 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

9 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。

10 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

12 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

13 filibuster   

n.妨碍议事，阻挠；v.阻挠

参考例句：

• A senator dragged the subject in as a filibuster.一个参议员硬把这个题目拉扯进来，作为一种阻碍议事的手法。
• The democrats organized a filibuster in the senate.民主党党员在参议院上组织了阻挠议事。

14 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

15 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。

16 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。