As Biden marks 1 year in office, he'll hold a news conference

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As Biden marks 1 year in office, he'll hold a news conference

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President Biden holds a rare formal news conference Wednesday — as voting rights legislation seems set to fail in the Senate. Voting rights is a key priority of the administration.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

For the first time in a while, President Biden holds a formal news conference today. It comes at the one-year mark of Biden's presidency² and as Democrats³ in the Senate appear all but certain to hit a dead end trying to pass voting rights legislation, a key priority of the president's.

We're joined now by NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. We're going to get to Biden's presser in a minute, Domenico. I want to ask about something that crossed overnight - New York state Attorney General Letitia James accusing Donald Trump⁴'s family business of inflating⁵ property values. So what can that accusation⁶ mean for Donald Trump?

DOMENICO MONTANARO, BYLINE⁷: Well, in court filings late Tuesday night, the New York Attorney General's office says it's requiring Trump's testimony⁸ and the testimony of his children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. The reason, they say, is because in order to get loans, The Trump Organization made, quote, "pervasive⁹ and repeated" misstatements and omissions¹⁰ related to Trump's net worth and other assets.

Investigators¹¹ say basically they need to resolve who's responsible for that - and that Trump's other child, Eric, and the former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, testified last year, but they asserted their Fifth Amendment¹² rights against self-incrimination and that, quote, "certain others have professed¹³ faulty memories or asserted that they were following instructions from more senior employees." So they're essentially¹⁴ saying that they - everyone either doesn't remember or they're not talking about it, and they need to get to the bottom of it.

MARTINEZ: All right, back to D.C. now. Let's start with the efforts of Senate Democrats. So what are they attempting on voting rights?

MONTANARO: Well, as soon as today, Senate Democrats plan to bring voting rights legislation to the floor. That's expected to fail, though, with all Republicans lined up against it. The next step is Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer planning to bring up changes to the filibuster¹⁵ on this issue, where senators actually would need to hold the floor - what's known as the talking filibuster. Here's what he said about this last night.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHUCK SCHUMER: On something as important as voting rights, if Senate Republicans are going to oppose it, they should not be allowed to sit in their office. They got to come down on the floor and defend their opposition¹⁶ to voting rights, the wellspring of our democracy.

MONTANARO: The problem for him is he still doesn't have the votes. You know, senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia last week reiterated¹⁷ their opposition to changing Senate rules with just 50 votes when it comes to the filibuster. They want to preserve that 60-vote threshold, A.

MARTINEZ: If Manchin and Sinema stay dug in, then what does that mean for Biden's agenda? I mean, aren't we back right where everything started?

MONTANARO: Yeah. And, you know, he's essentially going to be asked about that today and asked about his struggles, what he thinks he can do to turn it around. You know, and I'm going to do something here I don't normally like doing - making a bold prediction (laughter), and that's that we're going to hear a lot more about infrastructure¹⁸ and how great it'll be to have new bridges, roads, all of that. Because, look, it's no small thing that this got passed - hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending from the new infrastructure law - on something that's eluded¹⁹ multiple past presidents. Biden also got the American Rescue Plan through - put thousands of dollars in people's pockets.

But the challenges have been really significant for this president. He's definitely going to be asked about that - most notably²⁰, the coronavirus pandemic continuing because of the new omicron variant²¹. Biden had almost declared independence from it last July, but that clearly didn't happen. And inflation is at a multi-decade high, and he's facing pressure to do something about that with really limited tools at his disposal. You know, and on the world stage, there was the chaotic²² Afghanistan withdrawal²³, now a Russia that is saber-rattling against Ukraine, and that's led to his standing²⁴ at a low for his presidency. His approval rating's in the low 40s. He's facing a 2022 where his legislative²⁵ agenda, like you said, is at a dead end, and Republicans are favored to take back the House.

MARTINEZ: I've got my Biden presser scorecard out, Domenico, and I'm going to be grading you on your bold predictions. That's NPR's Domenico...

MONTANARO: Yeah, we'll have bingo or Biden, maybe it'll add up to.

MARTINEZ: ...(Laughter) Montanaro. Thanks a lot, Domenico.

MONTANARO: You're welcome.

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 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

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 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。

5 inflating   

v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的现在分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• I felt myself inflating slowly with rage, like a tyre. 我感到自己体内的怒气正慢慢膨胀，像一只轮胎那样。 来自互联网
• Many are already overheating, with prices rising and asset bubbles inflating. 随着物价日益上涨、资产泡沫膨胀，很多新兴国家经济已经过热。 来自互联网

6 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

7 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。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

10 omissions   

n.省略( omission的名词复数 )；删节；遗漏；略去或漏掉的事（或人）

参考例句：

• In spite of careful checking, there are still omissions. 饶这么细心核对，还是有遗漏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• It has many omissions; even so, it is quite a useful reference book. 那本书有许多遗漏之处，即使如此，尚不失为一本有用的参考书。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 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》

12 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

13 professed   

公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的

参考例句：

• These, at least, were their professed reasons for pulling out of the deal. 至少这些是他们自称退出这宗交易的理由。
• Her manner professed a gaiety that she did not feel. 她的神态显出一种她并未实际感受到的快乐。

14 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

15 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。

16 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。

17 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

18 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

19 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

20 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

21 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

22 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

23 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

24 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。

25 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。