Democrats on Capitol Hill fail on voting rights but win the release of Trump files

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Democrats² on Capitol Hill fail on voting rights but win the release of Trump³ files

Transcript⁴

Democrats' voting rights effort was blocked in the Senate, but they did get a victory at the Supreme⁵ Court — in the quest for Trump White House records related to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

DEBBIE ELLIOTT, HOST:

Senate Democrats failed to advance a voting rights bill last night after Republicans blocked their legislation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was unable to unite his party behind a Senate rule change to get around the GOP blockade.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHUCK SCHUMER: Even for those who feel that the filibuster⁶ is a good thing and helps bring us together, I would ask this question - isn't protecting voting rights, the most fundamental wellspring of this democracy, more important than a rule in this chamber⁷?

ELLIOTT: In the end, Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona joined all the Senate Republicans to preserve the filibuster by a vote of 52-48. With voting rights stalled, Democrats now want to revive President Biden's domestic policy and spending plan, the so-called Build Back Better bill. NPR's Deirdre Walsh, who covers Congress, joins us now. Good morning, Deirdre.

DEIRDRE WALSH, BYLINE⁸: Good morning, Debbie.

ELLIOTT: So Majority Leader Schumer had admitted that moving voting rights was an uphill battle. Why push something that was pretty much destined⁹ to fail?

WALSH: Well, Schumer and other Democrats argued this issue was just so important to push because of what they see as damaging efforts from state legislatures across the country to disenfranchise voters. Many say that voting rights efforts over decades have suffered both setbacks and progress. And they wanted to push ahead. They say voters, especially from communities of color, who were key to getting President Biden elected and getting Democrats elected from swing states like Georgia, want to see Democrats fight. I talked to Pennsylvania Democrat¹ Conor Lamb. He's running for Senate in Pennsylvania. And he talked about the unique status for this issue. Here's Congressman¹⁰ Lamb.

CONOR LAMB: Voting rights are special. And they have a very, very important place in our politics. And so on something like voting rights, when we're fighting really to the last inch to try to get it passed, I think people understand why that's so important.

ELLIOTT: So in his news conference yesterday, President Biden talked about moving onto the Build Back Better bill and possibly breaking it up and passing it in chunks¹¹. What do the Democrats on Capitol Hill think about that?

WALSH: Many support it. I talked to both progressives and moderates in the Capitol yesterday. And they're really eager to push ahead on that Build Back Better bill. This is the $1.7 trillion package that stalled after Senator Manchin said he couldn't back it. And a lot of them are just saying they need to do whatever it takes to get as much of it done. And that should really be the focus right now. One piece that a lot of Democrats I talked to focused on was the child tax credit. But the president said at his press conference he didn't think that could be part of this effort. So that's a real divide. You know, Hill Democrats and the White House have pulled - pointed¹² out this policy has cut child poverty in half. So there's a lot of interest in trying to get that done. Other key pieces the Democrats mentioned were moving things to promote housing programs and climate change provisions.

ELLIOTT: OK. While we have you here, there was news last night from the U.S. Supreme Court that gives congressional investigators¹³ access to records from the Trump administration. What happened?

WALSH: So the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that the National Archives has to hand over records from former President Trump's administration to the House select committee investigating January 6. Trump's legal team appealed to the high court to try to block that. But they ruled against him. These are things like visitors' logs, emails, memos¹⁴ about legal strategies - all things the committee wants to see as they piece together all the conversations around the former president that led up to the insurrection. The select committee chairman, Bennie Thompson, and the top Republican on the panel, Liz Cheney, released a statement last night saying the panel, quote, "has already begun to receive records the former president had hoped to keep hidden." And they say they expect to get more material soon.

ELLIOTT: NPR congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh. Thanks so much.

WALSH: Thanks, Debbie.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

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 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 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。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 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。

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 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。

9 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

10 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。

11 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

12 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

13 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 memos   

n.备忘录( memo的名词复数 )；（美）内部通知

参考例句：

• Big shots get their dander up and memos start flying. 大人物们怒火中烧，备忘录四下乱飞。 来自辞典例句
• There was a pile of mail, memos and telephone messages on his desk. 他的办公桌上堆满着信件、备忘录和电话通知。 来自辞典例句