●拜登就職後簽署多項行政命令。 資料圖片【原文】下文摘錄自香港《文匯報》1月22日︰
美國新任總統拜登（Joe Biden）1月20日宣誓就職後，立即展開連串工作，在白宮（White House）簽署合共17項行政命令、備忘錄及部門指令等，大部分均推翻前任總統特朗普（Donald Trump）的具爭議政策，新指令包括強制戴口罩、重返世界衞生組織（World Health Organization）等旨在控制疫情的措施，亦重新加入應對氣候變化的《巴黎協定》（Paris Agreement），以及叫停針對部分穆斯林（Muslim）國家的旅遊禁令。
拜登在長約21分鐘的就職演說（inauguration speech）中隻字未提特朗普，不過他提到政府在未來4年仍有大量修復、重建、治癒和建設國家的工作。就職儀式結束後，拜登首次以總統身份進入白宮，隨即在橢圓形辦公室（Oval Office）簽署多項文件，他其間全程戴口罩，又向記者稱「沒有比今日更適合開始工作的日子」。
新冠疫情在美國造成逾40萬人死亡，拜登上任初期的施政目標亦以遏制疫情為重心，新簽署的行政命令中便包括「戴口罩100日挑戰」（100 days masking challenge），要求全民戴口罩100日抗疫，同時在聯邦政府建築物實施戴口罩令、要求保持社交距離（social distancing）等，白宮內亦隨即在辦公桌增設透明膠板。特朗普要求美國退出世衞的決定，原定今年7月正式生效，拜登就職後指示停止退出世衞的程序，並派出他的首席醫學顧問福奇（Dr. Anthony Fauci），率團參與世衞會議。
上屆政府的氣候政策引起極大爭議，承諾讓美國在2050年前實現淨零碳排放（net-zero carbon emission）的拜登，在行政命令中指示美國重返《巴黎協定》，相關程序需時30天，其後美國便會再次成為協定一員。此外，拜登又叫停連接美國與加拿大的輸油管計劃「基石XL」（Keystone XL），並要求各部門檢視、更改逾100項在特朗普任內實施的氣候相關政策。
不過拜登的環保方針在美國社會仍面臨一定阻力，例如共和黨籍的阿拉斯加州（Alaska）州長鄧利維（Mike Dunleavy）便嘲諷拜登的承諾，是將整個阿拉斯加變成大型國家公園（national park）。美國石油協會（American Petroleum Institute）亦批評阻撓興建美加輸油管是「倒退的一步」。
新簽署的行政命令中，多達5項涉及移民政策，包括叫停興建美墨邊境圍牆（U.S.-Mexico border wall）、撤銷針對13個穆斯林及非洲國家的入境禁令、取消特朗普任內加強移民執法的措施，暫緩驅逐（deportation）部分移民，並指示相關部門保留俗稱「追夢者」（Dreamers）計劃的「童年抵美者暫緩遣返」（Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA）。不過改革移民政策尚未在國會（Congress）取得跨黨派支持，未來要立法實施更大規模的移民法案，例如讓1,100萬無證移民在8年內取得公民身份（citizenship）等政策，仍有一定難度。
新政府官員完成就職典禮、向阿靈頓國家公墓（Arlington National Cemetery）獻花等儀式後，當晚迎來一連串慶祝活動，因應疫情，傳統的就職晚宴由電視特備節目取代，邀得Justin Timberlake等歌星透過視像表演，最後拜登夫婦在白宮陽台一同欣賞煙花，為全日的活動畫上句號。
Biden's change in U.S. policy - rejoining WHO and Paris Agreement
【譯文】After the new U.S. President Joe Biden was sworn in on 20 January, he immediately commenced a series of work to sign a total of 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations at the White House, overturning most of the controversial policies of his predecessor Donald Trump. The new directives included mandatory mask wearing and reengaging with the World Health Organization （WHO）in a bid to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as rejoining the Paris Agreement to cope with climate change and ending the travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.
Biden did not mention Trump in his 21-minute inauguration speech, but said that the government would have much to repair, restore, heal and build in the next four years. The masked Biden entered the White House for the first time as president after the inauguration ceremony and signed a number of documents in the Oval Office, telling reporters that "there's no time to start like today."
The U.S. had recorded 400,000 total deaths caused by COVID-19 so far, such that the target of Biden's policy would mainly focus on curbing the pandemic. The newly signed executive orders included the "100 days masking challenge", requiring all people to wear masks for 100 days to reduce the spread of the virus, and masks would be required in all federal properties as well as to maintain social distancing. Plexiglass barriers would also be erected on office desks in the White House. With regard to Trump's decision to withdraw from WHO which was originally scheduled to come into effect in July this year, Biden called for suspension of the procedures and had picked his chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci to lead a delegation at WHO's annual meetings.
The climate policy of the previous administration had aroused great controversy. Biden, who set the goal of net-zero carbon emissions for the U.S. no later than 2050, instructed rejoining the Paris Agreement in an executive order. The procedures would take around 30 days and then the U.S. would resume its role as a member. In addition, he also cancelled the project of "Keystone XL" with oil pipelines connecting Canada and requested the relevant departments to review and amend over 100 climate-related policies of the previous Trump's administration.
However, Biden's environmental policy still faced certain resistance in the American society. For instance, Alaska's Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy mocked Biden for turning Alaska into a large national park, while the American Petroleum Institute also criticized him for taking a "step backward" to block the U.S.-Canada pipeline.
Among the newly signed executive orders, 5 of which were related to immigration policy, including pausing construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, lifting travel and immigration restrictions for citizens of 13 primarily Muslim and African countries, canceling measures to strengthen immigration law enforcement during Trump's tenure, suspending deportations for certain immigrants, as well as retaining the "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" programme commonly known as the "Dreamers". However, the reform of immigration policy had yet to gain cross-party support in Congress, making it difficult to pass a large-scale immigration bill such as offering citizenship to 11 million undocumented immigrants within 8 years.
After completion of the inauguration ceremony and wreath-laying at the Arlington National Cemetery by the new government officials, a series of celebrations were held that night. Because of the pandemic, a television special was produced in lieu of the traditional inauguration ball, with singers such as Justin Timberlake being invited to perform in the virtual event. The Bidens finally enjoyed the fireworks and watched the end of the day's events from the White House balcony.●龐嘉儀
Q&A
1. 拜登為第幾任美國總統？
2. 拜登以幾歲高齡成為最年長的總統？
3. 拜登是繼誰後第二位信奉羅馬天主教的總統？
4. 誰與拜登搭檔參選成為美國首位女性副總統？
5. 拜登曾於何時擔任過美國副總統？
Answer
1. 第46任
2. 78歲
3. 甘迺迪（John F. Kennedy）
4. 哈里斯（Kamala Harris）
5. 2009年至2017年