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.
青海脱贫人口年度人均纯收入达13035元 同比增长9.5%******
中新网西宁2月3日电(祁增蓓)3日,青海省乡村振兴局党组书记、局长谢宝恩在青海省乡村振兴局长会议上表示,2022年,通过兴产业、稳就业、强兜底、减负担,脱贫人口年度人均纯收入达到13035元,同比增长9.5%,比全省农牧民人均可支配收入增速高3.2个百分点。
谢宝恩介绍,聚焦青海省“四地”建设,青海省乡村振兴局将62%的中央财政衔接资金用于产业发展,强化联农带农利益联结,带动群众持续增收;扎实开展稳岗就业“六个一批”行动,脱贫群众和监测对象务工规模达到21.6万人,完成国家下达任务的121%;充分发挥民政兜底救助功能,全省18.1万脱贫人口和监测对象纳入救助范围,实现了“托底线”与“救急难”并重。
同时,严格落实防止返贫动态监测帮扶机制,将监测对象识别参考收入标准由6000元提高至6700元,识别认定时间压缩至15日内。并研发可视化信息平台,建立8家部门参与的联席会议制度,先后开展2次全省性集中排查,做到了应纳尽纳、应帮尽帮。
谢宝恩说:“截至目前,全省累计认定的1.9万监测对象中,74%已消除返贫致贫风险,守住了不发生整乡整村规模性返贫的底线。”
着眼长远发展,青海省乡村振兴局编制完成了省级和25个重点帮扶县有效衔接实施方案。将年度65.1%的财政衔接资金和74.5%的东西部协作资金用于支持重点帮扶县发展,省内各金融机构投放贷款720.6亿元,推进实施了一大批补短板、促发展项目。
“我们推动15个国家重点县与江苏相关地区建立‘一对一’结对帮扶关系,全力保障国家选派的15支科技特派团、23支教育医疗‘组团式’帮扶工作队、369名专家开展工作,为重点地区发展提供了强有力的支撑。”谢宝恩说。
在民生保障方面,青海省200个村开展乡村振兴试点,初步探索形成了一批具有代表性、能复制、可推广的乡村振兴经验模式,并顺利完成农村“厕所革命”交接工作,年度建成户厕4.2万座、公共厕所25座。
此外,针对年度疫情灾情多点暴发、多轮频发的实际,青海省乡村振兴局开辟绿色通道,将存在因灾返贫致贫风险的107户399名受灾群众及时纳入监测范围,开展针对性帮扶,统筹安排财政衔接资金2.26亿元,采取先建后补方式,支持受灾地区修复受损水利设施,帮助受灾群众尽快恢复生产生活秩序。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)