美国国家公共电台 NPR Sen. Flake: GOP Must Stand Against Trump's Behavior 'Or Lose That Chance'

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

President Trump¹'s White House agrees with Senator Jeff Flake² about one thing. The presidential press secretary says she agrees with Flake's decision to quit. The Arizona Republican, a critic of President Trump, announced his departure from the Senate yesterday, but Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not like the rest of what Flake said in a speech on the Senate floor.

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JEFF FLAKE: It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end.

INSKEEP: In particular, Flake called for an end to Congress being complicit with the president.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

FLAKE: Reckless, outrageous³ and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced⁵ as telling it like it is when it is actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified.

INSKEEP: OK. It was just one man standing⁶ at a desk talking somberly as some of his colleagues looked on. But what he said, carried on live TV, brought Washington to a halt yesterday afternoon. Flake said he would give up his fight for re-election from Arizona. He thought he might lose a primary to a pro-Trump challenger. After his speech, the senator met his wife for dinner, and then he came on the line to take our questions about what he sees at stake.

FLAKE: I think we have to stand up and say this is not normal behavior. And if we don't stand up now, I think we're going to lose that chance.

INSKEEP: Has Congress been failing to do that?

FLAKE: I think so, yes. I think that we could be a lot more forceful in saying that this is behavior that we won't accept or tolerate and won't countenance⁴. The longer we do, the more normalized it becomes, and that's simply not good.

INSKEEP: Why is Congress failing to act as a check on this president, and what should they have been doing that they're not doing?

FLAKE: Well, when the president talks about, for example, pulling the license⁷ of, you know, some of the networks or...

INSKEEP: He talks about questioning broadcast licenses⁸.

FLAKE: Yeah. I mean, that's something that Congress needs to stand right up and say, no, that's the First Amendment⁹ we're protecting. Administrations will always, with regard to security versus¹⁰ freedom, opt¹¹ to, you know, have the maximum security. It's up to Congress to protect civil liberties, for example. Too often and too frequently over the past few years, we've fallen down on that job, I believe.

INSKEEP: Is your longtime friend and past collaborator¹² Vice¹³ President Mike Pence part of the problem?

FLAKE: I'm a good friend of Mike Pence, and I think the world of him. He's in a tough situation where he is. I think the buck¹⁴ stops with the president.

INSKEEP: But I think you're talking about members of Congress who are enabling the president, in effect. Isn't the vice president doing the same thing if that's what it is?

FLAKE: Well, I have to hope that in their private moments he's trying to prevail on the president to change his behavior as it relates to members of Congress or Gold Star families or others.

INSKEEP: I noticed that House Speaker Paul Ryan put out a statement about your retirement¹⁵ announcement and it was very friendly toward you, very warm words, but I didn't see any comment at all in his written statement about your critique of Congress, no response at all to your concern that people were complicit in the worst behavior of the president, as you put it. Is Speaker Ryan part of the problem?

FLAKE: Paul is a good man with a tough job. And I think that, you know, certainly during the campaign on a number of occasions and a few times since, he's stood up. I think that we obviously need to do more. But he's obviously got a tough job where he is. And then, believe me, it's - I don't relish¹⁶ those in leadership here trying to to move legislation that the president can sign and dealing¹⁷ in this atmosphere, but I do think that we're long past time when we can expect the administration to get up to speed. So I think we've got to expect more of them.

INSKEEP: I guess we should mention there's some kind of siren in the background. That's just a siren on Capitol Hill as you and I are talking. You said that Paul Ryan has been critical of the president particularly during the campaign, and that is certainly true, but that's what raises a question in some people's minds because there are plenty of Republicans who have been critical, who have expressed concern privately¹⁸ or publicly, but in the end, critics will say, they support the president's agenda. They vote the way the president would like them to vote, and even when it's hard to figure out what the president's agenda is, they're trying to support it. Is that what they should be doing?

FLAKE: Well, there are obviously things that we can agree with the president on with his agenda. I'm a conservative. I like the judges that he's nominated. I like some of the things on deregulation. About things on trade, not so much, handling of foreign policy. I hope that more of us stand up and say this kind of instability and chaos¹⁹ is not helpful in terms of our long-term alliances overseas and our long-term domestic policy, either.

INSKEEP: You said in your speech that you wanted to be able to tell your children and grandchildren that you'd done something. You have now given a quite dramatic speech, you've written a book, you've done other things. You've announced your retirement. But I'm guessing that that alone would not cure what you see as the problem. What, in the end, do you hope to be able to tell your grandchildren that you did?

FLAKE: Well, if there are policies that he puts forward that are unconstitutional or don't take us in the right direction, that I stood up and opposed them.

INSKEEP: And I understood you to say that you thought you could stand up more easily if you were not fighting a primary fight and fighting a re-election battle. Although, on the other hand, that means that before too long you will be gone from the Senate. Will you be less effective as a result of that?

FLAKE: Well, obviously you've got to be in the arena²⁰, and that's why it's been, you know, it's been a great thing to be here. But there are other things you can do, other ways you can speak out, and I plan to do so.

INSKEEP: What have you got in mind?

FLAKE: (Laughter) I haven't decided²¹ that at all. I've got 14 months left. We've got to get authorization²² for use of military force through here quickly. We've got to do some kind of tax reform, obviously, and rein-in our debt and deficit²³. There are a lot of long-term problems we need to address.

INSKEEP: Does something need to be done about the president, about whom you've spoken so critically?

FLAKE: If you're asking whether I think the president's committed high crimes or misdemeanors, I don't think so. I just think that we ought to stand up and require something better in terms of behavior and treatment of members of Congress and others, Gold Star families, you name it. But that doesn't have to involve any remedy like the 25th Amendment or impeachment²⁴ proceedings²⁵.

INSKEEP: One other thing, Senator. I watched your speech on the Senate floor. I've heard you speak a lot and I pay attention to voices, and listening to your voice, it seemed to me that you were quite emotional giving that speech. You were just on the verge²⁶ of being overcome during a lot of it. What was going through your mind as you delivered that?

FLAKE: That was a tough speech to give, looking around at my colleagues, many of who came to hear it. I love this institution. This - I'm not leaving because I'm sour on the Senate or on Congress. This is a wonderful system of government we have, and it kind of withstands the foibles of all of us. And I, you know, am deeply saddened to leave it.

INSKEEP: That's Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona talking with us last night after his announcement on the Senate floor that he's not going to seek re-election.

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 flake   

v.使成薄片；雪片般落下；n.薄片

参考例句：

• Drain the salmon,discard the skin,crush the bones and flake the salmon with a fork.将鲑鱼沥干，去表皮，粉碎鱼骨并用餐叉子将鱼肉切成小薄片状。
• The paint's beginning to flake.油漆开始剥落了。

3 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

4 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

5 countenanced   

v.支持，赞同，批准( countenance的过去式 )

参考例句：

6 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。

7 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

8 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

9 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

10 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

11 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

12 collaborator   

n.合作者，协作者

参考例句：

• I need a collaborator to help me. 我需要个人跟我合作，帮我的忙。
• His collaborator, Hooke, was of a different opinion. 他的合作者霍克持有不同的看法。

13 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

14 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

15 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

16 relish   

n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味

参考例句：

• I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
• I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。

17 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

18 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

19 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

20 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

21 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。

22 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

23 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

24 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

25 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

26 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。