安倍首相、改憲論議の進展期待　２０年度予算案、実質審議入り―衆院委

　衆院予算委員会は３日午前、安倍晋三首相らが出席して２０２０年度予算案に関する基本的質疑を行い、実質審議に入った。首相は憲法改正について「国民的な議論が深まるように与野党の枠を超えて、深い有意義な議論が進んでいくことを期待している」と強調した。自民党の岸田文雄政調会長への答弁。（2020/02/03-12:26）

The Budget Committee of Japan's House of Representatives on Monday started talks on the government's fiscal 2020 budget proposal.
   The ruling coalition aims to get the budget bill through the Lower House by late this month and send it to the House of Councillors.
   During a meeting of the Lower House committee on the day, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his hope that discussions on constitutional reform will deepen beyond party lines.
   About a controversial publicly funded cherry blossom-viewing party and a casino bribery scandal involving a Lower House member who had served as a state minister, Abe vowed to give sincere explanations to regain public trust.
   The prime minister also said Japan-China relations have significantly improved since he returned to power in December 2012. The improvement came "not because we changed our position," Abe said. "Mutual understanding is advancing, including about differences in positions."