Watch Taiwan's parliament break out in a vicious brawl over the budget
Taiwan's parliament broke out in a brawl Thursday during a budget dispute that found the opposition party, Kuomintang (KMT), violently protesting President Tsai Ing-wen's plans for approximately $13 billion in infrastructure spending it says is centered on regions loyal to her Democratic Progressive Party, The Telegraph reports. Lawmakers clubbed each other with signs, tossed papers, grabbed each other's throats, and chucked pink armchairs around the room.
Premier Lin Chuan was unable to give a report on the budget after a water balloon, lobbed by the opposition, burst near him. Angry lawmakers also honked air horns to express their fury.
"We call for rational discussions … to resolve our difference," the DPP said in a statement, slamming the KMT's "violent boycott."
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Stateside, the U.S. Congress has its own battle looming: This fall, it must set a budget, tackle the tax code, address President Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure plan, and raise the debt ceiling. Hopefully, there will be no pink chairs handy.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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