VOA慢速英语2019--特朗普为穆勒报告与国会交锋

Trump¹ Fights Congress over Mueller Report

American President Donald Trump has declared executive privilege to hide parts of a Special Counsel report from Congress. The report is the findings of an investigation² into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

On Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd sent a letter to Representative Jerrold Nadler, chair of the House Judiciary Committee. It said: “This is to advise you that the President has asserted executive privilege over the entirety of the subpoenaed⁴ materials.”

Boyd wrote that the action was necessary. He said it was the result of the committee’s plan to hold a vote advising that Attorney General William Barr be declared in contempt of Congress.

Nadler called the President’s action “unprecedented obstruction⁵.” He said, “As a co-equal branch of government, we must have access to the materials that we need to fulfill⁶ our constitutional responsibilities...”

The House Judiciary Committee then voted to hold Barr in contempt of Congress. The full House is expected to vote on the measure at a later date.

Last month, Barr released parts of the Mueller report.

Those parts described many contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia. However, another part said, “…the evidence was not sufficient to support criminal charges.” It also examined about 10 actions by the president related to the obstruction of justice investigation. The special counsel noted⁷, “while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate⁸ him.”

The 448-page report included redactions that Barr said are necessary to protect grand jury information, intelligence secrets, ongoing⁹ investigations¹⁰ and the privacy rights of others.

Nadler and Democratic Party leaders in the House said they want to see the full report and all related evidence. Barr has so far refused the request.

Executive privilege vs. Congressional subpoena³ power

Neither executive privilege nor congressional subpoena power are noted in the U.S. Constitution. But the third branch of government, the judiciary branch, has long affirmed both measures in its rulings.

In the 1920s, the U.S. Supreme¹¹ Court established that Congress has very broad power to investigate and get information, as part of its legislative¹² operations. The rulings came while the Senate was investigating government corruption¹³ in what came to be known as the Teapot Dome¹⁴ scandal.

The U.S. government’s Congressional Research Service notes that Congress can issue subpoenas¹⁵ to force requests for information. The CRS also says Congress can hold people in contempt who refuse such requests.

American presidents since George Washington have claimed executive privilege to keep information from Congress.

After a failed military operation against Native Americans in 1791, President Washington refused to provide Congress documents and information linked to the action. Washington claimed at the time he had the right to withhold¹⁶ the information because it was in the public interest.

President Dwight Eisenhower was the first American president to use the term “executive privilege.” Eisenhower even declared that executive privilege belonged to the entire executive branch. He used the power 44 times.

In April 1974, President Richard Nixon asserted executive privilege to refuse to release tape recordings¹⁷ made in the Oval Office. Nixon’s lawyer argued only the president could decide when and how to use the privilege.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected that argument. Nixon resigned shortly after in what became known as the Watergate Scandal.

More importantly, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time that executive privilege was constitutional but only “to the extent that [it] relates to the effective discharge of the president’s powers.”

What’s Next

Trump has said that his administration is “fighting all the subpoenas.” His assertion of executive privilege is likely the first of many to come as House leaders are using subpoena power to learn more about the Mueller report and to get Trump’s personal and financial documents.

A contempt of Congress vote from the full House against Barr would mean that he could go to jail for up to 12 months. But Congress would have to send the case to Justice Department lawyers who are unlikely to act against their own supervisor¹⁸.

I’m Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

assert - v. to state in a strong and definite way

subpoena - n. a written order that commands someone to appear in Congress (or court) to give evidence

contempt - n. behavior that does not show proper respect to Congress (or the court)

access - n. a way of getting to something

sufficient - adj. providing as much as needed

conclude - v. to form or state an opinion

exonerate - v. to prove that someone is not guilty of a crime

redaction - n. writings removed prior to publication

scandal - n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong

1 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。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 subpoena   

n.（法律）传票；v.传讯

参考例句：

• He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。
• Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

4 subpoenaed   

v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court subpoenaed her to appear as a witness. 法庭传唤她出庭作证。
• The finance director is subpoenaed by prosecution. 财务经理被检查机关传讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。

8 exonerate   

v.免除责任，确定无罪

参考例句：

• Nothing can exonerate her from that.任何解释都难辞其咎。
• There is no reason to exonerate him from the ordinary duties of a citizen.没有理由免除他做公民应尽的义务。

9 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

11 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。

12 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

13 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

14 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

15 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

16 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

17 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

18 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。