美国国家公共电台 NPR--How Republicans got on board with the Respect for Marriage Act

How Republicans got on board with the Respect for Marriage Act

Transcript¹

Former Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen discusses how conservative lobbyists worked to convince Republican senators to support the Respect for Marriage Act.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Congress has given final passage to the Respect for Marriage Act. It mandates² that all states should recognize same-sex marriages. Now, when President Biden signs this law, as he is expected to do, it will change nothing for now because the Supreme³ Court has found a right to same-sex marriage in the Constitution, but should the court's conservative majority ever rule otherwise, this law would be in place to set a federal standard. It was a bipartisan bill, for the most part. It could not have passed the Senate without some Republican support. And in the House, 39 Republicans joined Democrats⁴ in voting yes. That's only about a fifth of the Republicans, but 39 of them.

Former Florida Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen supported this legislation when she was in Congress representing Florida, and she lobbied for it now that she's out. And she's on the line. Welcome to the program.

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN: Hey, Steve. Good morning. Thanks so much.

INSKEEP: How hard has it been over the years to bring your fellow Republicans, or at least some of them, on board with this idea?

ROS-LEHTINEN: Well, this has been one of those social issues that has really moved quickly through the American landscape. Once upon a time, you know, we had "don't ask, don't tell" and so many other policies related to marriage inequality and people not living their true selves. So it's really moved fast, and the Republican Party has moved along with it. I co-chair a group called Conservatives Against Discrimination, and we work with another organization, Centerline Action. Ken⁵ Mehlman and Reginald Brown, both from Bush 43 White House, both on all of these conservative groups. And we had a quiet campaign to try to get folks online, and, boy, it's really been a massive, positive movement. And I thank all of the Republicans who voted for it - 12 senators and 39 House members. That's really phenomenal.

INSKEEP: Right. Although let's be clear here - that is a minority of Republicans in both the House and the Senate. You're correct that some Republicans have taken what seems to be the country's majority view on this, that same-sex marriage is a right. But why do you think a majority of your party resists?

ROS-LEHTINEN: Well, I think that they unwisely and incorrectly gauged⁶ the nonsupport of their constituents⁷ back home, and they're worried about that, that narrow wing of the Republican Party that is - will not - will never accept marriage equality. But actually, all the polls have indicated - the Gallup poll from just a little bit ago, 71% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, saying they support same-sex marriage. And each of these House members and their Senate colleagues in recent weeks, they looked at clear public trends inside their states.

So now it's 12 senators and 39 House members, but if we ever had to do it again - and, of course, we don't because now it's codified⁸ - it is the law. But you will have more and more Republicans. They're coming that way. They think their constituents will not accept this view, but we show the poll, and there's broad-based support among members of my own party.

INSKEEP: I bet there has been an occasion - almost inevitably⁹ would be - you'd be talking with someone who is a Republican lawmaker who feels that same-sex marriage is simply immoral¹⁰, is against their moral or religious beliefs. And this is kind of a deep question about democracy, really. What is the case you would make to someone in which you would say, I understand that you feel that this is immoral and utterly¹¹ wrong, and yet I believe that in a republic, you need to accept it anyway? How do you make that case?

ROS-LEHTINEN: Well, I think we can make a good case for it. We need to take stock of the fact that what we witnessed on the floor of the House was historic, and it's a historic moment for the sanctity of marriage, for strong families, for religious liberty in America. It is not that it does away with the fabric¹² of marriage or American fabric. No, it strengthens it. And I think that people are coming to understand that they have someone in their own family or someone with whom they work or someone who is - even someone in their church who may be gay and who is in a same-sex relationship.

And there's so many people who we think are of this garden variety or this other piece of salad, and you find out, oh, my gosh, you know, this salad works together, and this tomato and this lettuce¹³ - and, oh, it's a delicious salad. We all come from different places, and we're all different people, and we've got to be more accepting of others who are unlike ourselves.

INSKEEP: You mentioned...

ROS-LEHTINEN: Not everybody's like you and me.

INSKEEP: You mentioned people in your family - people will know; some will know - your son is a transgender LGBTQ advocate. Given that, what do you make of the direction of your party on trans issues right now?

ROS-LEHTINEN: Well, that's going to be the next goal. You know, we've got to understand that not everyone who is born in a certain gender¹⁴ is still identifying with that gender. That will be a tougher nut to crack, and it will seem right now that it will be impossible. But knowing and understanding my son Rigo, born a man that - now identifies as a transgender male, and we came to terms with that as a family. And I come from a pretty conservative Cuban American family, and even my 80-year-old father, before he passed away, he understood those changes. So things happen in every family, and we've got to be understanding and accepting. We love our children no matter what - unconditional¹⁵ love.

INSKEEP: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, thank you so much for your insights. Really appreciate it.

ROS-LEHTINEN: Thank you, Steve. Have a great day.

INSKEEP: She's a former Republican member of Congress and co-chair of a group called Conservatives Against Discrimination.

1 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。

2 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

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 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》

5 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

6 gauged   

adj.校准的；标准的；量规的；量计的v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的过去式和过去分词 )；估计；计量；划分

参考例句：

• He picked up the calipers and gauged carefully. 他拿起卡钳仔细测量。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Distance is gauged by journey time rather than miles. 距离以行程时间而非英里数来计算。 来自辞典例句

7 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 codified   

v.把（法律）编成法典( codify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the meantime, however, Kennecott had been codified elsewhere in the Act. 然而，“肯尼考特”一案已被编人法案。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Congress has since codified this holding. 从那时以来，国会编纂整理了最高法院的这一裁定。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

9 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

10 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。

11 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

12 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

13 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

14 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

15 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。