Dick Durbin, a low-key Senate veteran, to preside over Supreme Court hearings

Dick Durbin, a low-key Senate veteran, to preside over Supreme¹ Court hearings

　　Transcript²

　　When Senate confirmation³ hearings open on the Supreme Court nomination⁴ of Ketanji Brown Jackson next week, there will be a new face in the center chair.

　　Presiding over the hearing will be Illinois Democrat⁵ Dick Durbin. Though he has served in the House and the Senate for a total of 39 years, his influence has largely been behind the scenes. Until now.

　　He has been No. 2 in the Senate Democratic leadership since 2007, a job that involves knowing senators well enough to be able to count and corral votes, and knowing how to broker⁶ a deal.

　　Durbin was raised in the working-class city of East St. Louis, Ill. On the Black side of town, people had come north in the Great Migration⁷ to work in factories. On the white side of town, the population was largely Catholic immigrants, like his mother, who came to the U.S. from Lithuania at age 2. Both his parents had only an eighth-grade education and both worked for the railroad, his mother in the office and his father as a night watchman, who worked his way up to a chief clerk's position.

　　"My church was kind of the center of my life. It was not only my school but it's where I went to play sports and, you know, dances and everything else," Durbin remembers. "I kind of focused on the Catholic side of life in East St. Louis."

　　That came to a grinding halt when his father died. "He was in the hospital for 100 days before he passed away. And there I was, a 14-year-old kid standing⁸ by his bed, seeing this man gasping⁹ for air at age 53, two packs of Camels a day."

　　His father's death led to what, decades later, Durbin calls his proudest accomplishment¹⁰: his leadership in the fight against tobacco. In 1987, as a junior member of the House, he introduced a bill to ban smoking on airplane trips. Although the entire Democratic and Republican leadership was against the measure, amazingly it passed, on a bipartisan roll call vote.

　　"Why?" Durbin asks rhetorically. "Because the House of Representatives was the biggest frequent-flyer club in America." But in fact it was more than that, he says. "It was a tipping point I didn't see coming." A tipping point in public opinion. The bill passed the Senate and was signed into law after the key Senate committee chairman, who was up for election that cycle, polled the question and found that banning smoking on planes and in other public places was very popular.

　　Working with Republicans

　　So, how did a boy from East St. Louis, with no financial means, get to college, law school and the U.S. House of Representatives? To start with, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., was lot cheaper in those days.

　　"I could work all summer in the slaughterhouse in East St. Louis, make $1,200 a summer," and with a part-time job during the school year, and a $1,000 loan each year, he made ends meet.

　　One of the part-time jobs Durbin took was working for Sen. Paul Douglas, a famous liberal lion of his times, whose photo sits on the wall in Durbin's Capitol office. "Douglas fought the battle for civil rights ... against all the Southern Democrats¹¹ in the Senate. It went on and on for years," Durbin recalls, noting that his mentor¹² was usually on the losing side, but "he never gave up."

　　Now Durbin holds the Senate seat that Douglas once did. Not only is he the assistant majority leader, he is the first whip to also be the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He persuaded the Democratic caucus¹³ to let him do these two full time jobs by giving up other significant committee assignments.

　　He is intent on trying to break the committee's gridlock where he can. Everything has to be a compromise to succeed because the committee, and the Senate, is evenly split.

　　Durbin is something of a master at getting along with the opposition¹⁴ whenever possible. He is friends with the Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley, and is trying once again this year to win passage of the DREAM Act that he first proposed 20 years ago. It would allow undocumented immigrants brought here by their parents as children to win legal status. His ally in that, most of the time, has been Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

　　"That's the nature of the Senate," he observes. "There are a lot of titanic¹⁶ egos¹⁷ on a very small boat, and the fellow you push overboard today may be the one that's going to save your life tomorrow."

　　There are, of course, some Republicans on the committee whom he sees as implacable. For Democrats, Sens. Ted¹⁵ Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Tom Cotton of Arkansas are particularly problematic. Cotton in particular makes a practice of holding up U.S. attorney, U.S. Marshal and other law enforcement nominees¹⁹, not because he objects to them in particular, but because of an unrelated policy grievance²⁰ with the Justice Department.

　　Now Durbin is about to preside over confirmation hearings for the first African American woman nominated for a seat on the U.S Supreme Court, and he is proud of this moment, "I hope we get it done, fingers crossed. If she can make it, it's historic."

　　The fate of the filibuster²¹

　　But he is reflective enough — and candid²² enough — to look back and see that partisanship²³ can lead to misjudgments.

　　He seems to be of two minds about the Democrats' decision in 2013 to abolish the filibuster after Republican leader Mitch McConnell blocked all three nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

　　"McConnell just decided²⁴ that he would do everything in his power to stop us from filling vacancies," he recalls. "And that's when [then-Majority Leader] Harry²⁵ Reid said, 'I can't let him do that. That's an important court and we've got to have a mechanism²⁶ to appoint someone.' "

　　At the time, Reid explicitly²⁷ preserved the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, but just over three years later, when Donald Trump²⁸ was elected, McConnell abolished the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, allowing for the quick confirmation of three conservative Supreme Court Justices — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

　　Does Durbin regret taking the first step to blowing up the filibuster? The Democrats think McConnell would have abolished it for Supreme Court nominees anyway. But the lack of the filibuster "has changed the Supreme Court a lot," Durbin says, and not for the better. "When you needed 60 votes to make it on the Supreme Court, you had to have a nominee¹⁸ that could pick up some votes of the minority party, whatever it might be," he observes, "and that, I think, moves you toward a more centrist person. And we no longer have that element in the equation."

　　As to his own votes on Supreme Court nominations²⁹, does he have any regrets? Durbin was one of 22 Democratic votes against John Roberts' nomination to be chief justice.

　　"I've thought about that more than anyone," Durbin admits. "I would say if it came to me again, I would reconsider. I respect him for so many things ... although a majority of his opinions I definitely would disagree with."

　　If that remark seems measured, don't look for more like it next week when Judge Jackson's nomination hearings begin.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

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 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。

4 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

5 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。

6 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

7 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

8 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。

9 gasping   

adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
• "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗？”“我巴不得能喝点！”

10 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。

11 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》

12 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

13 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。

14 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。

15 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

16 titanic   

adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的

参考例句：

• We have been making titanic effort to achieve our purpose.我们一直在作极大的努力，以达到我们的目的。
• The island was created by titanic powers and they are still at work today.台湾岛是由一个至今仍然在运作的巨大力量塑造出来的。

17 egos   

自我，自尊，自负( ego的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Their egos are so easily bruised. 他们的自尊心很容易受到伤害。
• The belief in it issues from the puerile egos of inferior men. 这种信仰是下等人幼稚的自私意识中产生的。

18 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

19 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

20 grievance   

n.怨愤，气恼，委屈

参考例句：

• He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
• He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

21 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。

22 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

23 Partisanship   

n. 党派性, 党派偏见

参考例句：

• Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
• There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学

24 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

25 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

26 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

27 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

28 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。

29 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句