美国国家公共电台 NPR--Republicans block an effort to replace Feinstein on Senate Judiciary Committee

Republicans block an effort to replace Feinstein on Senate Judiciary Committee

Transcript¹

A Senate fight over temporarily replacing Diane Feinstein on the judiciary panel is delaying the confirmation² of several federal judicial³ nominees⁴. Feinstein, who is 89, is recovering from shingles⁵.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Senate Republicans have blocked an effort from Democrats⁷ to temporarily replace Senator Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat⁶, on the Senate Judiciary Committee, with another Democrat, of course. Feinstein is recuperating⁸ from shingles and has not voted since February. She's facing pressure from a handful of House Democrats to resign. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sidestepped a question on whether Feinstein should consider stepping down.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHUCK SCHUMER: I spoke⁹ to Senator Feinstein just a few days ago, and she and I are both very hopeful that she will return very soon.

MARTIN: But for now, without Feinstein's vote on the committee, it means that President Biden's judicial nominees are stalled. NPR congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh is with us this morning to tell us more about this. Good morning.

DEIRDRE WALSH, BYLINE¹⁰: Good morning, Michel.

MARTIN: So what is the Republicans' argument for why they oppose the effort to replace Feinstein at least on this temporary basis?

WALSH: Well, the top Senate Republican, Mitch McConnell, argued yesterday that most of President Biden's judicial nominees have bipartisan support inside the Judiciary Committee. But McConnell says a small fraction, in his view, are too extreme, so he didn't want to help Democrats get them through by swapping¹¹ in someone else to take her place.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MITCH MCCONNELL: Let's be clear. Senate Republicans will not take part in sidelining a temporary absent colleague off a committee just so Democrats can force through their very worst nominees.

WALSH: McConnell has made confirming conservative judges a huge priority during his career, and we can see how important Trump-appointed judges on the federal bench have already been - on impacting issues like abortion¹² by blocking the ability of Democrats to confirm some of Biden's nominees on a party line, which is how a lot of conservative judges got through under McConnell's leadership. McConnell and Republicans can block some of Biden's picks off the courts.

MARTIN: You know, it's interesting, though, Deirdre, that Republicans have also had senators missing votes due to illness or other medical issues, right?

WALSH: Yes, including McConnell, who was just out for a few weeks when he was recovering from a concussion¹³. Maine Independent Senator Angus King told me it's easy to see how the situation could be reversed, so he was just disappointed that Republicans blocked this.

MARTIN: So do the Democrats have a plan about what to do now?

WALSH: It's unclear. One Democrat, Richard Blumenthal, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, told me they're looking at rules and tools to press ahead with the president's nominees, but he said they're still discussing those and what next steps they can take. But for now, the vacancy¹⁴ on that committee means some nominees are going to be deadlocked¹⁵, and this could really ramp¹⁶ up pressure on Feinstein to resign. We already saw some House Democrats call for that last week.

MARTIN: And what about that? Is there - do you see any new movement in that direction, any new voices calling for Feinstein to step down?

WALSH: You know, so far it's really been confined to a small group in the House. No Senate Democrat is going there right now. And as you noted¹⁷ earlier, Schumer continues to say, and other Democrats have been saying, they hope that Feinstein will be back soon. Democrats in the Senate instead are really criticizing Republicans for not extending what they see as a courtesy to a veteran Senator Feinstein, who has good relationships on both sides of the aisle¹⁸. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was really incensed¹⁹ when she was talking to reporters about this yesterday.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ELIZABETH WARREN: And the Republicans, instead of extending that courtesy to this woman who has served so honorably, are saying no way. They want to play politics all the time.

WALSH: Senate Democrats for now continue to say Feinstein's decision about what happens next is up to her, and they're really willing to give her some space. But, Michel, that might not last forever. There are some Senate Democrats, like Amy Klobuchar, who have said...

MARTIN: OK.

WALSH: ...The longer Feinstein is out, it impacts the committee and the country.

MARTIN: That's NPR's Deirdre Walsh. Deirdre, thank you so much.

WALSH: Thank you.

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 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

3 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

4 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

5 shingles   

n.带状疱疹；（布满海边的）小圆石( shingle的名词复数 )；屋顶板；木瓦（板）；墙面板

参考例句：

• Shingles are often dipped in creosote. 屋顶板常浸涂木焦油。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The roofs had shingles missing. 一些屋顶板不见了。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 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》

8 recuperating   

v.恢复（健康、体力等），复原( recuperate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He's still recuperating from his operation. 他动了手术，还在恢复。
• He is recuperating from a serious back injury. 他背部受了重伤，目前正在康复中。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 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。

11 swapping   

交换，交换技术

参考例句：

• The slow swapping and buying of horses went on. 马匹的买卖和交换就是这样慢慢地进行着。
• He was quite keen on swapping books with friends. 他非常热衷于和朋友们交换书籍。

12 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。

13 concussion   

n.脑震荡；震动

参考例句：

• He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。
• She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

14 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

15 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

16 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

17 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

18 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。

19 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。