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.
口腔种植体集采平均降幅55% 预计年节约患者费用40亿元******
记者 张 敏 舒娅疆
1月11日上午,口腔种植体系统集中带量采购在四川开标,并产生拟中选结果。据国家医保局介绍,此次集采拟中选产品平均中选价格降至900余元,与集采前中位采购价相比,平均降幅55%。本次集采共有55家企业参与,其中39家拟中选,中选率71%,汇聚全国近1.8万家医疗机构的需求量,达287万套种植体系统,约占国内年种植牙数量(400万颗)的72%,预计每年可节约患者费用40亿元左右。
一位参与集采投标的企业代表告诉《证券日报》记者:“我们是一家海外药企的中国区总代理。集采相关文件出台以后,公司积极参与集采(投标)。前期已与客户进行了调查沟通,并和厂家进行了政策、价格等方面的沟通。从本次参与集采的报价来说,我们产品降幅力度较大,在与其他企业的一些产品进行对比之后,我们的产品应该是中端系列里性价比较高的。从A类产品投标情况来看,公司入围中标的概率可能较小,未来还会积极关注集采和相关政策信息。”
三类主要费用构成
有望同步下降
据悉,口腔种植的费用大致分为种植体、牙冠和医疗服务三个部分。种植牙价格从几千元到一两万元不等,其中,种植体费用占比约为三分之一。本次集采通过以量换价,挤出种植体的价格水分。
国家医保局介绍,集采前价格较高的士卓曼、登士柏、诺保科种植体系统从原采购中位价5000元降至1850元左右,市场需求量最大的奥齿泰、登腾种植体系统从原采购中位价1500元左右降至770元左右;纳入了四级纯钛及钛合金2种材质性能更好、临床认可度更高的种植体,并覆盖了口腔种植体其他耗材部件,能够满足绝大多数临床使用需求。
口腔种植体系统集中带量采购的一位特邀专家在接受《证券日报》记者采访时表示,通过本次集采,患者未来需要花费的费用会更低,对于机构来说,口腔种植价格也会更加公开透明,方便患者寻求质量更好的医疗服务。
国家医保局介绍,未来将做好集采中选结果落地实施前的准备工作,近期还将对种植牙过程中配套使用的牙冠耗材开展竞价挂网,同步落实口腔种植医疗服务价格全流程调控,使种植牙服务的三类主要费用构成同步下降。通过多项措施协同发力,预计2023年3月下旬到4月中旬,种植牙费用综合治理结果落地实施,患者将全面享受到降价后的种植牙服务。
“通过以上多项治理措施,预计种植一颗牙的整体费用(含医疗服务、种植体和牙冠)有望降低50%左右。当然以上只是平均价格降幅。具体情况中,如果原来价格较高的降幅将更为明显,原来已经平价种植的也将有所降价,总体看群众费用负担将显著减轻。”国家医保局介绍。
1.4万家民营医疗机构参与
推动国产种植体销售研发
此次口腔种植体系统集采是高值耗材集采从医保领域扩围到非医保领域的首次尝试。
由于种植牙并未被纳入医保报销范围,充分调动医疗机构,特别是民营医疗机构参与集采的积极性,也是本次集采的难点之一。据记者从现场获得的数据,1.4万家民营医疗机构参加了此次集采,占医疗机构总数的80%。参与集采的医疗机构范围较广,意味着通过集采有利于实现“以量换价”。
有券商发布的研报认为,目前国内种植牙市场空间大但渗透率仍较低,未来若集采工作顺利推进,将有利于种植牙渗透率的提升,而龙头口腔连锁机构也有望以价换量。
据了解,本次集采共有55家企业参与,其中39家拟中选,中选率71%。中选企业既包括一些知名国际企业,也包括威海威高、常州百康特等国内企业。对此,有分析人士认为,这不仅优化了种植牙耗材的供应结构,而且有利于国产种植体生产企业的销售和研发,最终将有利于国内患者享受到质优价宜的种植牙产品。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)