美国国家公共电台 NPR--If the GOP wins the House, Kevin McCarthy will make a bid to be speaker

If the GOP wins the House, Kevin McCarthy will make a bid to be speaker

Transcript¹

Presumptive House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is a Republican representative from California, who is currently the minority leader. He is likely to face several challenges in the next Congress.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

With Republicans on the verge³ of taking the House majority, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy faces an early test of party loyalty⁴ in his bid to become the next speaker. NPR political correspondent Susan Davis has more insights into McCarthy's past and the challenges he faces now.

SUSAN DAVIS, BYLINE⁵: As he likes to tell it, Kevin McCarthy's path into politics started on a gamble in the California lottery⁶ when he was a young kid living in Bakersfield.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KEVIN MCCARTHY: I scratch off my first ticket, all three. And the most money you could win then was $5,000. I scratch off three of them. And all three say 5,000. And I had never played the game before. So I go back up to the checker. I said, you know, as I read this, did I win? I was one of the first winners in California.

DAVIS: That lucky break led him to invest that money, use it to open up a deli named Kevin O's and then sell that business to help pay his way through college. There, he started working for his then-representative, Republican Bill Thomas. In 2002, he ran and won a seat in the California State Assembly, where he was quickly elected party leader. Here he is speaking to a class of high school seniors in 2005.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MCCARTHY: I never liked to refer to myself as a minority leader. I refer to myself as the Republican leader. I'm proud of my party.

DAVIS: When Thomas announced he would retire in 2006, McCarthy succeeded his former boss in Congress. In his campaigns since, McCarthy has only ever faced token opposition⁷ for the seat representing his hometown. And he's never won with less than 62% of the vote. He entered Congress a traditional, small-government conservative, typical of the George W. Bush era. His first speech on the House floor was in opposition to a 2007 Democratic bill to raise the minimum wage.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MCCARTHY: I came to Congress to work to increase opportunity for all Americans, not to harm workers and small businesses.

DAVIS: Often described as sunny and gregarious⁹, with an obsession¹⁰ with campaign politics, McCarthy was quickly dubbed¹¹ a young rising star in the party, along with then-Congressman¹² Eric Cantor of Virginia and Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Together, the trio were the minority party's self-proclaimed young guns who wrote a 2010 book, went on a book tour and produced a glossy¹³, Hollywood-style ad to promote their agenda and themselves.

(SOUNDBITE OF POLITICAL AD)

UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: Joined by common-sense conservative candidates from across the country. Together, they are ready to make history. Together, they are the young guns.

DAVIS: McCarthy also did the work. He's credited with helping¹⁴ recruit dozens of outsider candidates to run in the historic 2010 Tea Party wave that delivered a Republican majority and, with it, made him majority whip, right below Cantor, who became majority leader. But with that majority came a more right-wing, confrontational¹⁵ style of Republican lawmaker. And the party's young guns were also now the establishment. Cantor was forced out in 2014 when he was defeated in his Republican primary. In the aftermath, McCarthy became majority leader. Asked at the time if he was conservative enough to help lead the party, he told reporters this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MCCARTHY: They elected a guy that's only grown up through the grassroots. They elected a guy who spent his time going around recruiting many of these individuals to get the majority. Look; I've always had to struggle for whatever we wanted to overcome.

DAVIS: House Republicans, still stymied¹⁶ by a Democrat⁸ in the White House, continued to take out their inability to get much of anything done on their own leadership. Conservatives, led by then-Congressman Mark Meadows of North Carolina, led a months-long campaign that ultimately forced Speaker John Boehner to resign in the fall of 2015. McCarthy quickly announced a bid to succeed him, but he withdrew from that race when it became clear he did not have the support of the most conservative wing in the party.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MCCARTHY: If we are going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to help do that.

DAVIS: That remaining young gun, Paul Ryan, reluctantly stepped into the role. And McCarthy remained the speaker's deputy. Donald Trump¹⁷'s stunning¹⁸ 2016 presidential victory once again realigned the political interests of Republican lawmakers. Tea Party-style opposition to spending fell way to loyalty tests to the new leader of the party. While Ryan and Trump were often at odds¹⁹ over tweets and the agenda, McCarthy worked his way into Trump's good graces. He once bragged²⁰ to the Washington Post that after noticing Trump's favorite Starburst flavors were the red and pink ones, he made a point to deliver a jar of them to the president as a gift. Trump often called him my Kevin in private and publicly backed McCarthy to lead House Republicans after they lost the majority in 2018.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DONALD TRUMP: We have a great man. And he's going to be, hopefully, a great speaker of the House.

DAVIS: McCarthy and Trump's alliance remained strong during Trump's first impeachment²¹ for abuse of power and obstruction²² of Congress. The day Trump was acquitted²³ by the Senate, McCarthy tweeted out a video of himself tearing up the articles of impeachment.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MCCARTHY: Acquitted for life.

(SOUNDBITE OF PAPER RIPPING)

DAVIS: After Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden and then fueled the January 6 attack on the Capitol, McCarthy, in the immediate²⁴ aftermath, appeared ready to sever² ties with Trump.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MCCARTHY: The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters.

DAVIS: But when it became clear that the party base and most Republican lawmakers remained loyal to Trump, McCarthy pivoted²⁵. Twenty-two days after the attack, he was photographed with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate for a private meeting to plot winning back the House in 2022. McCarthy worked to win over Trump loyalists in the House, voted against Trump's second impeachment for incitement²⁶ of insurrection and ousted²⁷ Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney from party leadership for her criticism of Trump. Cheney has never missed an opportunity to criticize McCarthy since, as she did just weeks ago on NBC.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

LIZ CHENEY: When Minority Leader McCarthy has had the opportunity to do the right thing or do something that serves his own political purpose, he always chooses to serve his own political purpose.

DAVIS: Now facing a razor-thin majority, McCarthy's political future relies on keeping House Republicans almost completely unified²⁸ behind him. Already, a handful of Trump-aligned conservatives say they will not support him for speaker. This is Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz on his podcast last Thursday.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MATT GAETZ: I have spoken with many Republicans in Congress and many who will join our ranks soon. None are actually inspired by Kevin McCarthy.

DAVIS: In an interview with the podcast "Control," former Speaker Ryan said McCarthy, who has now survived years of internal party dramas, should not be underestimated.

(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "CONTROL")

PAUL RYAN: He's playing the inside game to win the vote for speaker. He knows exactly how to do that. He was better at that than me. And I wouldn't count him out ever because he really knows how members think, how they operate and how to play a vote-counting game.

DAVIS: Or maybe he'll need to get lucky once again.

Susan Davis, NPR News, Washington.

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 sever   

v.切开，割开；断绝，中断

参考例句：

• She wanted to sever all her connections with the firm.她想断绝和那家公司的所有联系。
• We must never sever the cultural vein of our nation.我们不能割断民族的文化血脉。

3 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

4 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

5 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。

6 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

7 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。

8 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。

9 gregarious   

adj.群居的，喜好群居的

参考例句：

• These animals are highly gregarious.这些动物非常喜欢群居。
• They are gregarious birds and feed in flocks.它们是群居鸟类，会集群觅食。

10 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

11 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》

12 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。

13 glossy   

adj.平滑的；有光泽的

参考例句：

• I like these glossy spots.我喜欢这些闪闪发光的花点。
• She had glossy black hair.她长着乌黑发亮的头发。

14 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。

15 confrontational   

adj.挑衅的；对抗的

参考例句：

• Fans love rappers partly because they strike such a confrontational pose. 乐迷热爱这些饶舌艺人一定程度上是因为他们所采取的那种战斗姿态。 来自互联网
• You prefer a non confrontational approach when it comes to resolving disputes. 面对争端，你不喜欢采用对抗性的手段来解决。 来自互联网

16 stymied   

n.被侵袭的v.妨碍，阻挠( stymie的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Relief efforts have been stymied in recent weeks by armed gunmen. 最近几周的救援工作一直受到武装分子的阻挠。 来自辞典例句
• I was completely stymied by her refusal to help. 由于她拒不相助， 我完全陷入了困境。 来自互联网

17 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。

18 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

19 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

20 bragged   

v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He bragged to his friends about the crime. 他向朋友炫耀他的罪行。
• Mary bragged that she could run faster than Jack. 玛丽夸口说她比杰克跑得快。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

22 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

23 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

24 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

25 pivoted   

adj.转动的，回转的，装在枢轴上的v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• His old legs and shoulders pivoted with the swinging of the pulling. 他一把把地拉着，两条老迈的腿儿和肩膀跟着转动。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海
• When air is moving, the metal is pivoted on the hinge. 当空气流动时，金属板在铰链上转动。 来自辞典例句

26 incitement   

激励； 刺激； 煽动； 激励物

参考例句：

• incitement to racial hatred 种族仇恨的挑起
• Interest is an incitement to study. 兴趣刺激学习。

27 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

28 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。