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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Control of the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance as midterm results are counted
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Democratic Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey3 about the midterm election results, and the future of the Democratic party.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Two days after the voting ended, we still do not know who will control the United States Senate. Democrats4 in Pennsylvania flipped5 a seat to their side. Vote counting continues in Nevada and Arizona, and a runoff is coming in Georgia. So this is almost like a sports playoff series. Whichever party wins two of those three - Nevada, Arizona, Georgia - gets a Senate majority. Republicans, overall, did worse than expected and worse than the party out of power normally does in a midterm election, yet the chambers6 are so closely divided, they may still capture the House or the Senate. And that is the state of play, as Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey joins us. Senator, welcome back.
CORY BOOKER: It's really good to be on. Thank you.
INSKEEP: What do you think the country was telling you on Tuesday?
BOOKER: Well, obviously, we're still counting votes in many places, but as you said, this bucks7 a significant historical trend, not only about the party in power during midterms, but also, when inflation has been this high, the party in power usually gets decimated. And I think there are a few things to note. First and foremost, that this idea of protecting our democracy was salient, and the fact that the Republicans fielded literally8 hundreds of candidates that were denying elections and even saying things as outrageous9 as we saw with the gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, that if I win, Republicans will never lose again in the state. Second, I think that there was a significant Republican overreach on issues that the majority of Americans on both sides of the aisle10 support, like the ability to control your own body and as well as things that they were openly talking about taking away - privatizing Social Security, cutting Medicare.
And then the final thing at least I tried to do on the campaign trail, which I thought was really resonant11, was we are in an economic crisis, and which party would have your back the most? When the Republicans were in charge, when Donald Trump12 was there, their signature bill was a massive tax cut to the wealthiest amongst us who just didn't need it. When Democrats were in charge, they lowered prescription13 drug prices, lowered medical costs, helped people out who were struggling with evictions and did the kind of commonsense14 bread-and-butter things that were fighting for working people.
INSKEEP: I suppose that you can make a case for all of that. It was a bad night for Republicans. And yet many millions of people did vote for Republican candidates, voted for candidates on the Republican side that even many Republicans considered to be very flawed. And Republicans seem likely to control at least one house of Congress next year. That is on their bad night. How is Washington going to be different next year, do you think?
BOOKER: Well, I think that they've made it clear. I listen very closely to what colleagues on the other side of the aisle say, that one of the biggest themes they had in this election was going after Joe Biden in a very personal way. So I imagine if they take the House of Representatives, a lot of their time will be dealing15 with investigations16 of Joe Biden. They've personalized the efforts. And I think, unfortunately, we're going to see a lot of that kind of politics of personal destruction again.
But what I'm hoping is, is that what we've done when we had control of both houses continues. We have passed the most significant bipartisan bills, really, in generations, whether it's the Infrastructure17 Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the first gun legislation for gun safety in 30 years. And so this spirit of bringing our country together on issues we agree on has to continue, not only for getting basic things done to help Americans, but still, I believe that there are people questioning our democracy, and we need to show that good people on both sides of the aisle can come together, can find common ground and rally our country towards common cause.
INSKEEP: As you and your fellow Democrats head toward this lame-duck session, this session which will be after the election but before the new Congress is sworn in, can you talk us through your thinking? I guess you must have to assume that Republicans will capture the House, that it will be much more difficult to legislate18. And so what do you want to get done before you lose the chance to do it?
BOOKER: Well, I think there are a lot of things that are urgent for Democrats. No. 1, given what Clarence Thomas wrote in the Dobbs decision, we want to secure marriage equality. No. 2, I think the biggest agenda item for me in terms of helping19 working-class people is taking that child tax credit that gave the biggest middle-class and working-class tax cut in American history, that cut child poverty to the greatest degree in American history, I would like to make the child tax credit permanent. It would be a massive help to a lot of families. In addition to that, we've got to do basic things, like fund the government as well as what we're continuing to do, which is balance the judiciary by passing and confirming a lot of judges.
INSKEEP: Can I just ask - you said fund the government. Of course, some Republicans have talked about a debt ceiling crisis. The debt ceiling has to be raised sometime early next year. Some Republicans have said this is an opportunity for us to get leverage20 to get things we want. President Biden has said we're not going to do that. That does raise the prospect21 of some kind of U.S. government default. Would you, in that lame-duck session, while Democrats can, perhaps extend the date of the debt ceiling into the future in some way?
BOOKER: Well, I certainly hope we can do it. You've had presidents from Trump to Biden to Obama just say this is a ridiculous way to run a government. We're the only country that does that. This is not spending money. It is actually saying that we're going to cover the bills that we've already racked up. And it's always, unfortunately, a time of consternation22, where some people want to try to undermine the full faith and credit of the United States government. So I hope we...
INSKEEP: I just want to cut in here. Are you saying - when you hope we can do that, are you saying that you hope that you can extend the debt ceiling during the lame-duck session at the end of this year?
BOOKER: Again, for me, that would be great. It's going to be a very crowded time, and I think we're going to have to pick and choose amongst priorities.
INSKEEP: So you don't know that your leadership is on with that.
BOOKER: That's exactly right.
INSKEEP: Can I ask another question? Because, of course, Ron DeSantis had a big reelection in Florida. He is increasingly seen as in conflict with Donald Trump. I'm presuming that you would not want either of those men to be president after 2024. But tell me who, as a Democrat2, you'd rather face - rather, your party to face in 2024 as the Republican nominee23 - Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis?
BOOKER: You know, I'm an old track guy, and it's not about the person in the blocks next to you; it's about running your best race. Democrats have two more years to try to deliver on the kind of things that Americans want and paced - post a vision for the future that excites people. I understand that Ron DeSantis had a very good day in Florida. I know that the congressional races there, much of that was the result of serious gerrymandering in that state. But we've got two years to work for the American people. God, I know people want to focus on 2024, but we got to still get through 2022 and 2023. And we're a country that still faces challenges with COVID, that still has high inflation. We've got work to do.
INSKEEP: Is there a sliver24 of more conservative voters to whom you think you can still appeal and come away with a more decisive result than, say, this past midterm was?
BOOKER: You know, absolutely. When I was out campaigning for Mark Kelly, he had me go to give a speech with this incredible group of Republicans that were so disenchanted with the extreme right-wing swing of their party. And the conversations we had, the common ground that we found was very encouraging to me. This nation needs desperately25 to put more indivisible back into this one nation under God. And I think that there is a powerful middle in this country that just wants sanity26 in their politics, and I hope to be one of those leaders to help provide it.
INSKEEP: Of course, Mark Kelly is the Democratic candidate for Senate in Arizona, one of the undecided races at this point.
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, always a pleasure talking with you. Thank you so much.
BOOKER: Thank you very much. All the best.
INSKEEP: He was talking with us from Newark.
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| n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书 | |
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democrat
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| n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员 | |
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jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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democrats
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| n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
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flipped
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| 轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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bucks
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| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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resonant
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| adj.(声音)洪亮的，共鸣的 | |
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trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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prescription
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| n.处方，开药；指示，规定 | |
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commonsense
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| adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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infrastructure
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| n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施 | |
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legislate
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| vt.制定法律；n.法规，律例；立法 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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leverage
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| n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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nominee
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| n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者 | |
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sliver
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| n.裂片，细片，梳毛；v.纵切，切成长片，剖开 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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