IN THE NEWS - Nomination of Chief Justice Heads to Committee

IN THE NEWS - Nomination¹ of Chief Justice Heads to Committee Vote
By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Saturday, September 17, 2005

I'm Doug Johnson with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

This week in Washington, the Senate Judiciary Committee questioned Judge John Roberts. President Bush has nominated him as the seventeenth chief justice of the United States. Federal judges serve for life.

The committee is expected to vote on Thursday. Ten Republicans serve with eight opposition² Democrats³. The full Senate plans to open debate on the nomination on September twenty-sixth. The Supreme⁴ Court begins its new term on October third.

Judge Roberts must have the votes of at least fifty-one senators to be confirmed. Most observers say that should not be difficult. Fifty-five senators are Republican. But he would need sixty votes should opponents try to delay.

Judge Roberts is widely recognized as a legal expert. But some people call him too conservative. They say he could lead the court to weaken or cancel earlier rulings on civil rights.

John Roberts told the committee, "I will be my own man on the Supreme Court." He said he is not an "ideologue" -- someone who only follows one set of ideas. He said he would honor the legal tradition known by the Latin term stare decisis. This is a belief in the importance of earlier decisions on issues.

Democrats on the Judiciary Committee tried to get Judge Roberts to fully⁵ detail his positions on several major issues. These include a woman's right to end a pregnancy⁶ and also the rights of the dying.

Judge Roberts did say that he believes the Constitution supports a right to privacy. Such a belief has led to rulings that protect the use of birth control by married couples and a woman's right to abortion⁷. But Judge Roberts did not say in what way such a right could affect future cases. He said it would be wrong to comment on subjects that he might have to consider on the court.

Other questions involved growing tension between Congress and the Supreme Court over congressional actions ruled unconstitutional.

As a lawyer, John Roberts argued thirty-nine cases before the court. He currently serves as a appeals court judge. President Bush nominated him in July to become an associate justice after Sandra Day O'Connor announced her resignation.

But on September third, Chief Justice William Rehnquist died of cancer. So the president chose Judge Roberts for that position. Mister Bush says he will nominate someone else later on to take Miz O'Connor's place.

The Judiciary Committee advises the Senate to confirm or reject nominations⁸. It can also report a nomination without any advice. Or it can decide not to report a nomination at all. This would block a vote in the one-hundred-member Senate. But the tradition for many years has been to let all senators vote on nominees⁹. In the case of John Roberts, it appears the only question now is how many Democrats will vote for him.

IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Doug Johnson.

1 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

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 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。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

7 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

8 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

9 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网