美国国家公共电台 NPR Democratic Senators Slam Trump's Pick To Run Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

 

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Elizabeth Warren and other Senate Democrats¹ fired tough questions today at President Trump²'s nominee³ to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Financial industry groups and Republicans are backing Kathy Kraninger's nomination⁴, but Democrats say she has no experience with consumer protection. They fear President Trump is sending her in to weaken the agency and slash⁵ its budget. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

CHRIS ARNOLD, BYLINE⁶: The Trump administration says that Kathy Kraninger's job at the White House budget office gives her the skills she needs to, quote, "reform and refocus" the Consumer Protection Bureau. Many Republicans think the bureau has been too aggressive in going after financial firms, but Democrats love it for being a tough watchdog created in response to the financial crisis. They've painfully watched as a Trump-appointed temporary director has already put this watchdog bureau on a tighter leash⁷. But Kraninger today pledged to pursue the bureau's mission.

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KATHY KRANINGER: Under my stewardship⁸, the bureau will take aggressive action against bad actors who break the rules by engaging in fraud and other illegal activity.

ARNOLD: Still, Democrats are skeptical⁹, and the hearing at times grew heated.

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ELIZABETH WARREN: I'm asking you a pretty straightforward¹⁰ yes-or-no question. And I will remind you you are under oath, and lying to Congress is a crime.

ARNOLD: Senator Elizabeth Warren grew frustrated¹¹ and told Kraninger that she was dodging¹² questions. Given that she's had a policy position in the White House budget office, senators asked her about her role in some of the most highly criticized actions by the Trump administration, including the policy of separating immigrant children from parents at the border. But Kraninger refused to go into any details. Warren says that was because the nominee didn't want to admit that she did play a role.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

WARREN: I went to the border last month. I met a mother who was torn away from her 7-year-old little boy in the middle of the night. She could not stop crying. All she could say over and over and over is, I never even had a chance to say goodbye. These are innocent children who may be scarred forever by this policy. It is fundamentally immoral¹³. And you - you - were part of it, Ms. Kraninger. It is a moral stain that will follow you for the rest of your life.

ARNOLD: Senator Bob Menendez said in the hearing that he had emails showing that Kraninger was an architect of the administration's botched response to get hurricane relief to Americans in Puerto Rico.

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BOB MENENDEZ: Instead of turning to help them, you pinched pennies. And worst of all, I think you treated them like second-class citizens. That does not give me the faith that when you're going to have to stand up for seniors, service members, students, homeowners against some of the biggest financial institutions in this country that you'll do that.

ARNOLD: Republican committee chairman Mike Crapo, though, threw his support solidly behind Kraninger.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MIKE CRAPO: I have the utmost confidence that she is well-prepared to lead the bureau in enforcing federal consumer financial laws and protecting consumers in the financial marketplace.

ARNOLD: Still, many Democrats made a point of the nominee's lack of any direct experience in the field of consumer financial protection or financial regulation. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

HEIDI HEITKAMP: Have you ever worked at a bank or a credit union?

KRANINGER: Senator, I have not. And like many...

HEITKAMP: OK. Have you ever had oversight¹⁴ or regulated a bank or a credit union?

KRANINGER: No, Senator, I have not, like...

HEITKAMP: Have you had any final decisionmaking responsibility for enforcing state or federal consumer protection laws?

KRANINGER: Senator, again, like many other nominees¹⁵ approaching different positions, I have not had direct...

HEITKAMP: So the answer is no.

KRANINGER: ...Experience in that.

ARNOLD: Republicans at this point are expected to have enough votes to narrowly approve Kathy Kraninger to be the new director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Chris Arnold, NPR News.

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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 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。

3 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。

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 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

6 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。

7 leash   

n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住

参考例句：

• I reached for the leash,but the dog got in between.我伸手去拿系狗绳，但被狗挡住了路。
• The dog strains at the leash,eager to be off.狗拼命地扯拉皮带，想挣脱开去。

8 stewardship   

n. n. 管理工作；管事人的职位及职责

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Last, but certainly not least, are the issues of stewardship and ethics. 最后，但当然不是微不足道的，是工作和道德规范的问题。

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

10 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

11 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 dodging   

n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He ran across the road, dodging the traffic. 他躲开来往的车辆跑过马路。
• I crossed the highway, dodging the traffic. 我避开车流穿过了公路。 来自辞典例句

13 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

14 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

15 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