美国国家公共电台 NPR Congressional Leaders Urge Trump Administration For Broader Syria Strategy

 

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

We start this hour with reaction to President Trump¹'s decision to launch airstrikes on a Syrian airbase. That happened last night in response to an apparent chemical weapons attack by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on civilians².

First to Congress where members are generally supportive, but they say they want more answers about the Trump administration's broader strategy in Syria and whether that will require Congress to weigh in. NPR congressional reporter Geoff Bennett has more from Capitol Hill.

GEOFF BENNETT, BYLINE³: There were strong words of support today from the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MITCH MCCONNELL: I very much approve of what the president did. I think it was not only an important message to Assad but to everybody else who may be wondering just what this new administration is going to be like.

BENNETT: Lawmakers in both parties largely approve of the strikes, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHUCK SCHUMER: Making sure that Assad knows when he commits such despicable atrocities⁴, he will pay a price, is the right thing to do.

BENNETT: But in the hallways outside the upper chamber⁵, some senators questioned the legality of the airstrikes.

CHRIS MURPHY: This certainly was not a lawful⁶ act.

BENNETT: That's Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut.

MURPHY: And if the president gets away with taking this action against the Syrian regime without a congressional vote, there is no end to the executive power over military affairs. If you don't need authorization⁷ to strike a foreign government with no imminent⁸ threat to the United States, then when will Congress ever have to weigh in on military action overseas? I think this is a turning-point moment for the role of Congress in setting foreign affairs.

BENNETT: As Murphy's comments make clear, Trump's decision is reviving a debate over whether the president needs to get congressional authorization for military action in the region. President Trump, like President Barack Obama before him, launched airstrikes against ISIS targets using legal justification⁹ from 2001.

Congress passed a war authorization after the September 11 attacks, and lawmakers are split over whether that covers U.S. military action against the Assad government. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia says it doesn't. He's a longtime advocate for passing a new war bill.

TIM KAINE: The Constitution that we all pledge an oath is very, very plain that except for defending the nation against eminent¹⁰ attack, you can't start a war without an act of Congress.

BENNETT: But Mitch McConnell and other top Republicans say Trump was well within his rights as commander in chief to launch the airstrikes which they describe as limited and tactical. Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona says he would encourage the president to launch more airstrikes against Syria without congressional approval.

JOHN MCCAIN: To stop the slaughter¹¹ of innocent men, women and children. And anybody who says that he shouldn't stop the slaughter if he can of innocent men, women and children is not deserving of my respect or the respect of the American people.

BENNETT: The issue is sure to be among the many Congress faces when members of the House and Senate return to Washington in two weeks following their spring recess¹². Geoff Bennett, NPR News, the Capitol.

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 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 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。

4 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

6 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

7 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。

8 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

9 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

10 eminent   

adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的

参考例句：

• We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
• He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

11 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

12 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。