Government pressures to postpone Congress session that analyzes vetoes

The president’s government Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) continues trying to postpone the National Congress session to analyze presidential vetoes this Wednesday (24.Apr.2024). According to the Power360 said on Monday (April 22), the government’s objective is to try to postpone the session again until negotiate an agreement and not be defeated. However, this digital newspaper found that, until 11:58 am, the veto session was maintained.

Leaders of the Chamber of Deputies met at around 10 am this Wednesday (24 April) at the house of the president of Casa Baixa, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), to discuss the veto session, but were unable to reach an agreement. The Government leader in the Chamber, José Guimarães (PT-CE) was present. A new meeting should be held at 3pm in the Chamber. However, although the meeting was closed between the deputies, the only one who has the power to postpone the session or not is the president of Congress, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG).

This digital newspaper found that the government officials continue to try to delay the analysis, but are still not sure whether they will be able to postpone it again. The joint session of Congress – with deputies and senators – was initially scheduled for April 18, but the government managed to postpone it to avoid a defeat with the overturning of vetoes considered important.

President Lula’s most recent veto that went against Congress was the overturned of the section that prohibited temporary outings for prisoners to visit family members in the text of law 14,843/2024. Since its sanction, the government has tried to coordinate with federal and state deputies, governors and religious leaders to maintain the wording approved by Lula.

Another controversial veto was the cut of R$5.6 billion in commission amendments provided for in the Budget. These amendments, directed by the permanent committees of the Chamber and the Senate, are not binding. Congressmen must overturn the act because the Executive has not yet presented a counterproposal with agreement.

32 vetoes are pending. Of the total, 28 close the agenda –in other words, they prevent the analysis of other acts and need to be voted on with priority in the next session.

Here is the list of the main items in line to be considered by Congress:

TENSION WITH THE LEGISLATIVE

Since returning to Planalto, Lula has had an ups and downs relationship with the Legislature. The last time Congress analyzed presidential vetoes was on December 14th. At the time, congressmen overturned 9 presidential acts in full and another 4 partially. Among them, vetoes on tax exemptions, the fiscal framework and the time frame for the demarcation of indigenous lands.

The moment is one of tension between Lula and the president of the Chamber of Deputies Arthur Lira. At the beginning of April, Lira harshly criticized the Minister of the Institutional Relations Secretariat, Alexandre Padilha. The deputy stated that the minister, responsible for coordinating the Lula government, was “incompetent” and plant “fake news” about Congress.

After the statements by the President of the Chamber, Lula said he would keep Padilha in office “just stubbornness”.

In an interview shown on Tuesday night (April 23) on the program “Conversation with Bial”from the TV GloboLira stated that she had gone too far in her statements about Padilha, but again cited conversations to express the lack of protagonism of government leaders in coordination with Congress.