民主党与共和党均不同意最高法院提名

Democrats², Republicans Disagree on Supreme³ Court Nomination⁴ 民主党与共和党均不同意最高法院提名

The Republican and Democratic U.S. senators who have served the longest in the current Senate disagree about whether they should take action on President Barack Obama’s nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court.

President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February. Garland is currently an appeals court judge for the District of Columbia.

Both political parties believe the nomination is important because whoever is confirmed will be able to influence the court’s decisions. Currently, the court is split: four justices are considered liberal, four are considered conservative.

When Scalia was alive, conservatives won important cases because five conservative justices sat on the court. Republicans are worried -- and Democrats are hopeful -- that Garland will vote with the liberals now on the court.

Patrick Leahy is the senior Democrat¹ on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which examines nominations⁵ of federal judges. He has been in the Senate longer than any current senator. He said “we need to do our job” and debate and vote on the nomination.

Orrin Hatch has been in the Senate longer than any current Republican. He is also a member of the Judiciary Committee. He says the Senate does not approve a nominee⁶ just because a president wants that person to be on the Supreme Court. He and other Republicans believe Scalia should not be replaced until a new president is sworn in next January. But the Constitution does not limit when in a president’s term he or she can make a nomination. 

On Tuesday, Hatch said “conducting a heated, divisive confirmation⁷ fight in the middle of an ugly presidential election -- and that certainly describes our presidential election season that is well under way -- would do more harm than good.”

Hatch spoke⁸ at a recent meeting about the Supreme Court nomination, in Washington. At the same meeting, Leahy said “we’ve had numerous, numerous Supreme Court nominees⁹ confirmed in an election year.”

The disagreement about whether the Senate should consider a Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year has caused a debate about what the U.S. Constitution requires the Senate to do.

The document says the president “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint…Judges of the Supreme Court.”

Hatch said, “The Constitution gives the Senate the power of advice and consent, but does not specify¹⁰ how the Senate ought to exercise that power. Claims that the Constitution dictates¹¹ when and how the confirmation process must occur -- immediate¹² committee hearings or timely floor votes -- are false.”

Leahy said, “What would be historic is to deny Judge Garland a public hearing and a vote. The Senate has considered controversial nominees. But in every one of those instances, the nominee received a public hearing and a vote.”

But Hatch noted¹³ that “the Senate has never confirmed a Supreme Court nominee to a vacancy¹⁴ occurring this late in a president’s tenure¹⁵.”

Legal experts at the meeting also disagreed on what should take place.

Martin Gold has served as a legal aide to several Republican senators. He said, “The Senate has a duty to consider a nominee, but how it exercises that duty is a matter of dispute. In a sense, [Senate] inaction is also action.”

Jeffrey Blattner was a legal aide for Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, who died in 2009. Blattner noted that, in 1988 – when the Senate was controlled by Democrats – it confirmed Anthony Kennedy to the Supreme Court during Ronald Reagan’s last year as president. It was also a presidential election year.

Blattner said, “It did not occur to us [Democrats] ‘Well, it’s an election year -- [the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee] Michael Dukakis could win, and we don’t have to’” consider the nomination.

People at the meeting agreed that Republicans, who now control the Senate, can refuse for an unlimited¹⁶ period of time to replace a Supreme Court justice who resigns or dies. The Constitution does not limit the amount of time the Senate can take to act on nominations.

But Leahy says considering the nomination, even this late in Barack Obama’s presidency¹⁷, is something the Senate has a duty to do. He said it is also in the best interest of the country.

“We are elected to vote yes or no, not ‘maybe.’ You should demand your senators do their job by providing this nominee a public hearing. We are called to fulfill¹⁸ our constitutional duties. We are called to lead,” he said.

But Hatch said “the Constitution leaves the judgment¹⁹ to” senators to decide when and how -- or even if -- it should consider a judicial²⁰ nomination.

A recent public opinion survey found that fewer than half of Americans understand the Senate’s role in confirming presidential nominees. Other surveys find that a majority of Americans believe the Senate should at least debate and vote on the nomination of Merrick Garland to be a justice of the Supreme Court.

Words in This Story

conduct – v. to plan and do (something, such as an activity); to behave -- especially in a public or formal situation

vacancy – n. a job or position that is available to be taken

tenure – n. the amount of time that a person holds a job, office or title

1 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。

2 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》

3 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。

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 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

6 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。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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

10 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

11 dictates   

n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He always follows the dictates of common sense. 他总是按常识行事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 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。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

15 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

16 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

17 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

18 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

19 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

20 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。