资料图:美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素,众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中,美国民主党议员继续抱团,多轮投票中,一票不投麦卡锡,共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折,除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外,与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面,共和党党内反对者认为,麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱,无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府,另一方面,因为共和党的多数优势微弱,党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大,有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外,党内反对者也认为,自己的选票没有换取更多利益,希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步,比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物,众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任,选举几乎没有悬念。然而,麦卡锡此次为当选,不得不做出多个关键让步,其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制,使得众议长的权力被削弱,难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称,麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步,这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下,党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上,美国两党相互拆台,陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内,也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系,相互对抗,选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举,“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈,长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力,其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病,美国所谓的“民主”形象,让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举,变成了政客们利益置换的游戏,进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能,不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
国务院未保办:确保困境儿童温暖过冬幸福过节******
人民政协报讯(记者 顾磊)国务院未成年人保护工作领导小组办公室近日印发《关于开展“情暖新春共护未来”2023年寒假春节期间困境儿童关爱服务活动的通知》(简称《通知》),要求做好寒假春节期间孤儿、事实无人抚养儿童、农村留守儿童等各类困境儿童关爱服务工作,确保其温暖过冬、幸福过节。
《通知》要求,各地未成年人保护工作领导小组(委员会)办公室(以下简称未保办)要统筹用好基层工作力量,对本地区困境儿童进行走访探视,重点了解儿童监护或委托照料状况、健康情况、寒假春节期间儿童去向和面临困难问题等,针对困境儿童的实际困难,明确专人做好服务工作。确保各类信息沟通渠道畅通,保证儿童在遇到困难时能够及时得到关爱服务。
与此同时,结合走访探视活动开展未成年人保护工作法律法规政策宣讲,将父母均在外地过年的农村留守儿童作为关爱服务的重点对象,督促引导父母通过电话、视频、微信语音等方式加强与农村留守儿童的亲情沟通,给予儿童亲情关爱,加强假期亲子陪伴。
《通知》强调,各地要确保将孤儿、事实无人抚养儿童等纳入价格补贴联动机制保障对象;将符合条件的儿童及时纳入基本生活保障、临时救助等保障范围。按照当地党委和政府以及联防联控机制的统一部署,将困境儿童纳入当地医疗保障体系关注的重点对象范围,加强疫情防控和救治服务保障。
《通知》指出,各地未保办要充分运用已经形成的困境儿童关爱服务联动机制,积极发动社会力量广泛参与。动员支持专业社会组织、爱心企业、慈善组织、志愿服务组织参与儿童帮扶活动,为困境儿童开展爱心陪伴、心理疏导、行为矫治、社会融入和家庭关系调试等关爱服务,推动形成齐心合力、共护儿童成长的浓厚氛围。
“对于孤儿、事实无人抚养儿童、留守儿童等群体而言,不仅要关注疫情本身的防控与救治需求,还需要有针对性地提供专业、高效、多元的救助关爱。” 中民社会救助研究院执行院长宋宗合表示,在满足困境儿童寒假春节期间救护需求的同时,要建立一套更有针对性的救助保护措施,实现涵盖学习辅导、志愿陪伴、人身安全教育、情感抚慰支持等方面的一系列关爱工作,最大限度满足困境儿童个性化需求,真正让困境儿童感受到党和政府的关怀与温暖。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)