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.
推动儿童健康服务下沉社区******
本报记者 孙颖
构建首都基础教育良好生态,推动儿童健康服务下沉社区,建立“三位一体”心理健康服务网络……从教育到医疗,再到心理健康,孩子们的健康成长一直是市政协委员们关注的话题。在市政协十四届一次会议上,委员们纷纷建言献策,让祖国的花朵健康绽放。
让教师交流轮岗“活”起来
“双减”背景下,如何构建基础教育良好生态?民进北京市委提交党派提案,建议健全中小学教师交流轮岗考评机制和激励机制,推进“区管校聘”管理改革,让中小学教师交流轮岗“活”起来。
“完善顶层设计,构建有力的协同推进机制,明确义务教育教师定期参加交流轮岗的义务,并对交流轮岗的对象、年限、程序、待遇等做出全面规范。”民进北京市委相关负责人介绍,教育行政部门应充分发挥宏观规划协调的职能,统筹学区、集团、学校和教科研部门参与教师交流轮岗工作,如推进“区管校聘”管理改革,进一步明确教育部门与编制、人社等部门的权责,强化部门之间的横向协同。
“我们还建议,不断完善教师交流轮岗大数据管理平台,实现交流轮岗供需全面统筹、精准调配,健全考评机制和激励机制,创新交流形式,实施多元化交流,灵活运用全职与兼职两种形式。”民进北京市委相关负责人介绍,比如城区之间学校的交流轮岗,可通过兼职方式有选择地实施较长期限的交流轮岗,统筹开展“双师”直播课堂、同步课堂等线上线下相结合的教师交流,突破交流轮岗时空限制,促进普通学校转型升级。
推动儿童健康服务下沉社区
“许多婴幼儿疾病,如果能早期发现并及时有效干预,预后效果会很好。而早发现,儿童保健医生是关键一环。”来自九三学社界的市政协委员、北京大学神经科学研究所研究员伊鸣建议,推动0至6岁儿童健康服务下沉社区,提高儿童生命质量。
伊鸣说,对于0至6岁儿童开展健康管理是国家基本公共卫生服务项目的重要组成部分,如满月体格检查和发育评估、婴幼儿体格检查和疫苗接种等服务。但是许多儿童在基层医疗机构只能接受最基本最简单的体检服务,一些国家要求新增的服务项目,如眼部和视力检查等,并未得到切实开展。
如何让公共卫生服务在儿童健康管理服务更有实效?伊鸣建议,要严格落实儿童保健医生在基层医疗卫生机构的数量要求和比例要求,确保能够充分满足临床诊疗及预防保健需求。要加强儿童保健人员知识培训,需制定一套标准化与个性化相结合教案,确保儿童保健医生熟练掌握儿童常规适宜技术。
构建“三位一体”心理健康服务网
近年来青少年心理健康问题日趋引人关注。来自民建界的市政协委员、丰台区人大常委会副主任张婕建议,构建家庭、学校、专业机构“三位一体”心理健康服务网络。
“全国妇联儿童工作部的调查数据显示,‘不知道用什么方法教育孩子’排在家长对家庭教育指导服务需求的第一位。”张婕说,学校心理教育有优势,也有不足,在碰到复杂的学生心理问题时显得无能为力,专业心理机构虽然有专业上的优势,但存在难以进校园、难以得到家长认可的情况。
“要将教师、学生心理健康筛查纳入卫健委、教委日常工作,设定相应指标,与青少年肥胖率、近视眼率一并纳入学生健康指标进行考核。”张婕建议,建立心理咨询资源库,统筹中小学与专业心理咨询、治疗机构沟通机制,及时传递双方需要的信息,提高学校心理教育的水平以及专业心理机构咨询与治疗的效果。要对专业心理咨询机构进入校园出台鼓励措施,家庭、学校、专业机构一同帮助学生改善心理健康状态。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)