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.
黑龙江省加强银税互动——惠企政策红利直达市场主体******
黑龙江省加强银税互动——
惠企政策红利直达市场主体
进入12月份,黑龙江黑河港务局有限公司生产现场一派繁忙景象。大型集装箱密集进出,满载煤炭等货物的重型卡车往来穿梭、有序作业。
“今年公司共收到留抵退税款373万元,极大地缓解了资金压力。”黑河港务局有限公司副总经理张波介绍,公司利用这笔资金改造了港口作业设备,筹资建造了3艘驳船,提高黑河港的作业能力。
今年,黑龙江省推出“稳经济50条”政策措施,把加大增值税留抵退税政策落实力度放在第一条。目前,黑龙江省大规模增值税留抵退税存量留抵税额集中退还任务基本完成,全省增值税留抵退税款达206.2亿元、惠及28751户企业,户均退税达71.7万元,用真金白银帮助市场主体渡过难关。据全省增值税发票数据显示,前10个月,全省企业销售收入同比增长11.5%,稳增长的趋势进一步巩固。
为进一步加大惠企力度,黑龙江省对各类企业缓缴的养老、工伤、失业3项社保费补缴期限延长至2023年底前,补缴期间免收滞纳金。“对于我们这样用工量大的企业来说,社保费缓缴政策给了企业一段缓冲期。”齐齐哈尔市百货大楼股份有限公司董事长兼总经理堵留柱表示,截至11月末,该公司共缓缴社会保险费170余万元,提高了企业资金周转能力。
为解决企业资金难题,黑龙江还加强银税互动,由黑龙江省税务和银保监部门面向诚信小微企业开展融资活动。黑龙江省税务局银税互动平台上线以来,线上合作银行已扩围至16家。“通过银税互动,为我们解决了资金难题,公司发展的信心更足了。”黑龙江省安嘉乳业有限公司财务负责人张晓丽收到160万元纳税信用贷款后激动地说。
前11个月,黑龙江省小微企业通过银税互动渠道累计获得信用贷款94亿元,同比增长100%,有效缓解了中小微企业资金周转压力,发挥了激励企业依法诚信纳税和激发市场主体活力的“双促进”作用。
“今年以来,黑龙江省税务部门持续加大政策宣传力度,简化办税流程,通过线上线下、网上掌上等多种渠道为纳税人提供便利服务,确保税收优惠政策落到实处。”黑龙江省税务局党委委员、总会计师魏哲说,全省税务部门将充分发挥税收职能作用,推进黑龙江省稳住经济一揽子政策和接续政策“快准稳好”落地落实,让更多政策红利直达市场主体,推动经济稳定增长。(本报记者 吴 浩)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)