KMT legislator Weng Hsiao-ling spearheaded the cuts and freezes to the Presidential Office's state affairs fund, disrupting Mid-Autumn Festival gift box orders at sheltered workshops across Taiwan and triggering a strong public backlash.

• The KMT-TPP camp passed Weng Hsiao-ling's motion, cutting NT$30 million from the Presidential Office's state affairs fund.
• Roughly 15,000 Mid-Autumn gift box orders at 37 sheltered workshops nationwide fell through as a result, leaving social welfare groups scrambling.
• Weng Hsiao-ling revealed that Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Ho Chih-wei had privately explained the matter to her, but she said she had not seen the orders and did not find it credible.
• Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu had suggested cutting only NT$5 million, which Weng Hsiao-ling refused to accept.
• Weng Hsiao-ling fired back that Lai Ching-te was treating disadvantaged groups as hostages; after posting on social media, she was inundated with critical comments from netizens.

Outlook: This budget controversy is unlikely to subside any time soon, and the KMT may pay a political price over the image problem of disadvantaged groups being harmed.