美国国家公共电台 NPR--House Republicans are kicking off investigations into the Biden administration

House Republicans are kicking off investigations¹ into the Biden administration

Transcript²

After months of preparations, House Republicans this week are launching committee hearings investigating Democrats⁴.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

House Republicans are ready to launch new oversight⁵ of the Biden administration with a set of hearings starting this week. The list of what they say they're concerned about starts with a look into spending tied to the pandemic, plus policy on immigration and the southern border. NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales has more.

CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE⁶: Republican Congressmen James Comer and Jim Jordan are spending a lot of time together these days.

JAMES COMER: We talk every day. We had breakfast together this morning. We work together. No problem there.

GRISALES: That's Comer on his way to House votes on a recent afternoon. The Kentucky congressman⁷ is chairman of the Oversight Committee, and Jordan chairs the House Judiciary panel.

COMER: He knows what we're doing. We know what he's doing. Our staffs are close. Our committee rooms are next door to each other. So we work together very well.

GRISALES: The House GOP hopes to cover a lot of ground starting this week with a series of hearings. The Judiciary Committee's first meeting will cover what Republicans dubbed⁸, quote, "Biden's border crisis." It is part of the GOP's probe into concerns surrounding immigration and security at the U.S.-Mexico border. Meanwhile, Comer says the oversight panel's first hearing will focus on spending tied to the pandemic relief bills, which he claims did not get enough scrutiny⁹ when Democrats had control of the House chamber¹⁰.

COMER: There have been reports of lots of waste, fraud and abuse with respect to the stimulus¹¹ funds, PPP loan fund, unemployment funds and all of that. So we're just going to roll our sleeves up and get started there.

GRISALES: At the same time, the oversight panel is conducting a probe into the Biden family and their business dealings. But Republicans have not uncovered new evidence backing up claims of concerns. Democrats say the focus on Biden is more about politics. Republicans, who want a narrow House majority in the midterm elections, campaigned on pledges to investigate Democrats. And House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has repeatedly emphasized oversight into the Biden administration and various federal agencies.

KEVIN MCCARTHY: One thing that Congress has - we have a constitutional responsibility to oversee¹² the Justice Department, and that also means these individuals investigating. We have the constitutional power to do that, and we will.

GRISALES: Republicans say there is plenty of plans in store for overseeing the Justice Department and the FBI. To help with that, they formed a new select judiciary subpanel on the, quote, "weaponization of the federal government." It's something hardline conservatives pushed for, and it will be tasked with investigating claims government workers have politically targeted Republicans. Jordan said they're prepared to issue subpoenas¹³ if needed.

JIM JORDAN: We'll issue the subpoenas and try to get the information - documents that we need. And if they keep - if they give us the runaround, they give us the runaround. That's - I guess I sort of expect that.

GRISALES: Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, who is the House Oversight Committee's top Democrat³, says there is room for the parties to work together. For example, given the recent discoveries of misplaced classified documents by former and current presidents, Raskin and Comer agree there could be legislative¹⁴ fixes to avoid such concerns in the future. But Raskin warns extremist claims should not overtake GOP probes.

JAMIE RASKIN: Oversight is not about scandal mongering and sticking it to the other guys. Public oversight is about making sure the government is working for the people.

GRISALES: That posture¹⁵ is part of a new, larger battle that will play out publicly, pitting House Republicans against Democrats in what's expected to be a long series of probes and hearings to come.

Claudia Grisales, NPR News, the Capitol.

1 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

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 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。

4 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》

5 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

6 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。

7 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。

8 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

10 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。

11 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

12 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

13 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

14 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。

15 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。