Pan-blue lawmakers yesterday once again blocked a couple of bills proposed by the government and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Procedure Committee, prompting a DPP legislator to call them barbaric.
"If only the bills sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] and People First Party [PFP] can be put on the agenda, then it isn't necessary to have the Procedure Committee," DPP Legislator Chen Hsien-chung (陳憲中) said.
Bills blocked in the committee included the arms procurement budget, the bill to review the president's nominations for the Control Yuan, some budget bills and bills related to economic development and social welfare.
PFP Legislator Lin Hui-kuan (林惠官) and KMT Legislator Joanna Lei (
"You at least must give a reason why you don't want to put them on the agenda. As long as the proposals fit in with the requirements to become formal bills, then how can you block them?" Chen said.
The Procedure Committee could be called the most barbaric place on earth, as any legislator can block bills without a reason, Chen said.
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
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The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
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