美国国家公共电台 NPR--Democrats give their final arguments before Election Day

Democrats¹ give their final arguments before Election Day

Transcript²

NPR's Steve Inskeep asks Congressman³ Hakeem Jeffries, chair of the House Democratic Caucus⁴, for the party's closing argument to voters ahead of the midterm elections.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

So Democrats rank democracy itself as the preeminent⁵ issue this year, but they know that many voters expect democracy to deliver things for them. Representative Hakeem Jeffries asserts that Republicans have nothing to offer. He says that is the reason they've worked so hard for years to demonize Nancy Pelosi.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: They have no concrete vision for the future other than doing what they always do, which is to cut taxes for the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected, and everybody else gets screwed.

INSKEEP: We called Jeffries to hear Democrats' closing argument as Americans vote. His location suggested how hard an election it can be for Democrats. He was helping⁶ to defend congressional seats in a blue state, Oregon. His party has been hoping to run on achievements, like infrastructure⁷ spending and gun safety. They also run as supporters of abortion⁸ rights. But these concerns compete for attention with inflation, as we've been hearing from voters, like those who spoke⁹ with NPR in Georgia.

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VELVET¹⁰ SHEETS: We never run out of milk, right? We always keep milk in the refrigerator. And it just seems like it just keeps getting higher and higher and higher.

DARRYL SHEETS: Our 401(k)s are down by 25 to 35%. There's, you know, one party controlling what's going on politically. You have to assign that to somebody.

INSKEEP: So we asked Jeffries about it.

JEFFRIES: We had a once-in-a-century public health crisis that caused the economy to have to shut down. We worked hard to bring it back in a way that allowed for everyday Americans to regain¹¹ their jobs, to remain in their homes and to see a pathway back to pursuing the American dream in the most robust¹² fashion possible. We have more work to do, and our track record of accomplishment¹³ is one that I cite not simply to say reward us, but to say trust us.

INSKEEP: I guess we should be fair here and note that inflation has been global, and a lot of the work of dealing¹⁴ with inflation falls to the Federal Reserve. And still, people expect something of the leaders that they elect. So what is something concrete you can do in the coming year if you have the majority?

JEFFRIES: I expect that we will be in the majority, that all of us come together to put back into place the child tax credit, which resulted in providing additional support for the expenses that the American people confront in a way that benefits working families, middle-class families and low-income families. That's something that can be done. It's also important for us to deal with the high cost of child care and make child care more accessible and affordable¹⁵ for everyday Americans. And I think it's also critical that we address the housing crisis that exists. We have a plan that would, at minimum, invest $150 billion in the creation and preservation¹⁶ of affordable housing.

INSKEEP: You would certainly be addressing things that bother people in their day-to-day lives - the price of housing, the price of raising kids, the price of day care. But if you subsidize those areas and you don't do it very carefully, don't those tend to be inflationary things to do?

JEFFRIES: I think what the American people want us to do is to make sure that in their day-to-day lives, we are addressing the rising costs that they are confronting.

INSKEEP: We should pause to say the causes of inflation are complicated. A Federal Reserve study in 2016 found federal spending had little effect on inflation. An economic stimulus¹⁸ package in 2021 was so huge that it did provoke warnings that it would worsen inflation. This year, Democrats passed a mix of taxes, climate and energy measures, which they labeled the Inflation Reduction Act, although congressional analysts¹⁹ found its inflation effects would be limited. Jeffries says he wants to keep trying and that the other party has nothing better.

JEFFRIES: My Republican colleagues are too busy talking about things without proposing any real plan to address the concerns of everyday Americans. Extreme MAGA Republicans want to impose a nationwide ban on abortion and criminalize reproductive freedom. They actually want to take away Social Security and Medicare after five years. And they also, apparently²⁰, don't really believe in democracy anymore.

INSKEEP: Let's talk about a couple of those things. When you talked about Social Security and Medicare - of course, Senator Rick Scott of Florida has put out a proposal to sunset those laws and reconsider them, in effect, in some way.

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RICK SCOTT: People relying on Medicare - we have to have Medicare. But I also believe that we ought to start telling people how we're going to fix it because we know that it's not being fully¹⁷ funded. The same thing with Social Security.

INSKEEP: Rick Scott was speaking on this program earlier this year. Many Republicans disowned Scott's plan, although others have talked about changes to retirement²¹ programs. Jeffries contends Democrats will preserve many benefits, although he left open for now the question of how to pay for them.

Are you going to fund some of those priorities that you mentioned, which would mean, I guess, higher taxes on someone as opposed to borrowing money?

JEFFRIES: Well, we have continued to actually fund every single thing that we've done.

INSKEEP: Jeffries insists his party will also support voting rights. And if Democrats should keep their majority, they would retain the power to continue investigations²² of Donald Trump's bid to stay in office after his 2020 election defeat.

JEFFRIES: Democracy is just not an esoteric thing. It is good for freedom. It is good for a thriving economy.

INSKEEP: One other thing, Representative Jeffries. Do you sense that Democratic voters are ready for new leaders?

JEFFRIES: I think Democratic voters want us to continue to get the job done in Washington, D.C., to continue to put people over politics, continue to fight for lower costs, better paying jobs and safer communities. And that's exactly what we will do.

INSKEEP: I guess I should make explicit²³ the reason I asked that. The president is going to be 80. The speaker of the House is 82. Her top deputies are also in their 80s. Do you think that there are Democratic voters who might be looking for someone from a different generation?

JEFFRIES: I think Democratic voters understand that every single thing that we care about right now is on the ballot²⁴. Reproductive freedom is on the ballot. Health care is on the ballot. Social Security and Medicare - on the ballot. Voting rights - on the ballot. And certainly democracy itself is on the ballot. And the voters that I've encountered, traveling throughout the country, all want to make sure that we hold the House, hold the Senate and can continue America's march toward a more perfect union.

INSKEEP: Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, it's a pleasure talking with you. Thank you so much.

JEFFRIES: Great to talk to you. Thank you.

INSKEEP: That's a closing argument from Democrats as Election Day nears. We expect to hear from Republican Senator Rick Scott tomorrow.

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1 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》

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 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。

4 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

5 preeminent   

adj.卓越的，杰出的

参考例句：

• Washington was recognized as the preeminent spokesman of American Negroes by 1895. 到1895年,华盛顿被公认为美国黑人的卓越代言人。
• He is preeminent because his articles are well written. 他的文章写得很漂亮,卓尔不群。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 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。

8 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。

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 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

11 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

12 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

13 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

14 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

15 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

16 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

17 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。

18 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。

19 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

20 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

21 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

22 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。

23 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

24 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。