【本報綜合外電報導】美國參議院廿二日以七十一票贊成、廿六票反對的表決結果,批准美俄《新裁減戰略武器條約》(New
START)。這是歐巴馬總統繼減稅案、廢除軍中同性戀「不問不說」政策案後,在即將卸任的「跛鴨國會」再下一城,又一次取得重大立法勝利。
歐巴馬和俄羅斯總統梅德梅捷夫今年四月於捷克首都布拉格簽署《新裁減戰略武器條約》,以取代一九九一年七月美國與蘇聯簽署,而於二○○九年底期滿失效的《第一階段裁減戰略武器條約》(START
I)。新條約載明,美俄雙方在七年內須將核武載具(飛彈及轟炸機)減至七百件,實戰部署核彈頭減至一千五百五十枚,減幅近三分之一。
美國與外國締結的條約須獲聯邦國會參議院三分之二多數通過而批准。民主黨在十一月「期中選舉」丟失五個參議員席位,本屆會期若不通過此案,新會期勢必面臨共和黨更大的阻力。
廿二日的表決,《新裁減戰略武器條約》在五十六名民主黨籍議員、兩名無黨籍議員及十三名倒戈的共和黨籍議員支持下順利過關。俄羅斯國會下議院(杜馬)也可望於廿四日批准該約,屆時條約將正式生效。
期中選舉過後,美國國會即邁入所謂「跛鴨國會」,這段期間,民主、共和兩黨通常只會繼續僵持不下,將法案留待下屆會期解決。然而過去一周,國會接連通過大規模減稅案、廢除軍中同性戀「不問不說」政策,以及失業補助和其他重要法案,令已習慣兩黨惡鬥的觀察家有耳目一新之感。
美通過網路中立法 保障自由開放
2010-12-23 美國「聯邦通訊委員會」(Federal Communications
Commission,FCC)廿一日以三票對兩票,表決通過規範「網路中立性」(net
neutrality)的法規,以確保網際網路的自由開放,禁止網路服務業者(ISP)針對網路流量與內容進行不合理的管制。
未來康卡斯特(Comcast)、威瑞森(Verizon)、AT&T之類的業者必須公布網路管理方針,不得限制或阻斷消費者與創新者合法使用的網路流量,尤其不得刻意限制與業者自家相競爭的內容、應用程式與服務。不過依據使用量收費的「分層定價」在容許之列。
新法規對無線網路業者較寬鬆,理由是頻寬有限,比固網業者更易壅塞。新法規也不影響手機製造商,因此蘋果公司對iPhone能使用哪些應用程式,仍大權在握。
FCC主席蓋納喬斯基(Julius
Genachowski)說:「這是我們首度藉由法規來保障網際網路的基本價值。」歐巴馬總統也讚許FCC此舉「能夠鼓勵創新、保障消費者的選擇權、捍衛表達自由」。
新法規明年初才會施行,但已引發爭議。公眾利益團體認為FCC未明確禁止業者施行「付費者優先傳輸」(paid
prioritization),將使網路變成「快車道與慢車道」的不平等世界。美國共和黨及威瑞森等業者則抨擊FCC過度管制,將扼殺業者投資提升網路基礎建設的意願,引發「全球網際網路管制歪風」,未來將透過法律訴訟與國會修法予以推翻。
廿一日的表決壁壘分明,蓋納喬斯基等三位民主黨籍委員投贊成票,兩位共和黨籍委員投反對票。
THE
WHITE HOUSE
Office
of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________
For
Immediate Release
December 22, 2010
Statement by the Press Secretary
On
Wednesday, December 22, 2010, the President signed into law:
S. 30,
which makes it illegal to cause any caller identification service to
knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification
information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain
anything of value.
S.
1275, which establishes a National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and
Nutrition as a nonprofit corporation to promote participation by private
organizations in the activities of the President's Council on Fitness,
Sports, and Nutrition, and to promote private donations to support those
activities.
S.
1405, which redesignates the Longfellow National Historic Site in
Massachusetts, as the Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National
Historic Site.
S.
1448, which authorizes 99-year leases on land held in trust for five
Indian Tribes in the State of Oregon.
S.
1609, which authorizes the Department of Commerce to approve a single
fishery cooperative for the longline catcher processor subsector in the
Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Pacific cod fishery upon the request of
licensees holding at least 80 percent of the licenses issued for that
subsector.
S.
1774, which makes Hotaru Nakama Ferschke eligible for an immigrant visa or
for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident.
S.
2906, authorizes 99-year leases on land held in trust for the Kalispel
Tribe and the Puyallup Tribe of Washington State.
S.
3199, which reauthorizes and expands authorized research and public health
activities related to the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of
hearing loss in newborns and infants.
S.
3794, which authorizes the General Services Administration to transfer
Federal surplus property to State agencies for distribution to certain
veterans-related organizations.
S.
3860, which requires reports on the management of Arlington National
Cemetery.
S.
3984, which authorizes appropriations for museums and libraries through FY
2016, and extends programs administered by the Institute of Museum and
Library Services.
S. 3998, which extends
through March 30, 2012, a pilot program for certain volunteer
organizations that serve children to have fingerprint checks on applicants
for positions as volunteers or employees processed through the Fingerprint
Identification System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
S.
4005, which authorizes the U.S. Government to apply for, and Federal
courts to issue, restraining orders at any time before or after the
initiation of forfeiture proceedings by a foreign nation in order to
preserve the availability of property in the United States subject to
civil or criminal forfeiture under foreign law.
S.
4010, which makes Shigeru Yamada eligible for an immigrant visa or for
adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident.
H.R.
1061, which provides for the transfer of Federal and non-Federal land to
the United States to be held in trust for the Hoh Indian Tribe of
Washington State.
H.R.
2941, which Reauthorizes Johanna's Law to increase public awareness and
knowledge with respect to gynecologic cancers.
H.R.
4337, which modifies rules related to the tax treatment of regulated
investment companies, including rules related to capital loss carryovers,
dividends and other distributions, and excise taxes.
H.R.
5591, which designates the airport traffic control tower located at
Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Washington, as the Ray Daves
Airport Traffic Control Tower.
H.R.
6198, which makes technical corrections to the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention
and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.
H.R.
6278, which allows the District of Columbia to use Heritage Island and a
portion of Kingman Island within the Anacostia River for recreational,
environmental, or educational purposes in accordance with the Anacostia
Waterfront Framework Plan and the Comprehensive Plan of the District of
Columbia.
H.R.
6473, which extends through March 31, 2011,
authorities to collect taxes that fund the Airport and Airway Trust Fund,
make expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, and make grants
to airports under the Airport Improvement Program.
H.R.
6516, which makes technical and conforming changes to the Coast Guard
Authorization Act of 2010.
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