PT leader in the Chamber of Deputies, Reginaldo Lopes, says that the Transition Amendment will be voted on Tuesday: "we made an agreement in Lira's office"
The congressman stated that the text should be approved almost in its entirety and could be enacted immediately.
247 - PT leader in the Chamber of Deputies, Reginaldo Lopes (PT-MG) told CNN Brasil that the vote on the Transition PEC in the Chamber of Deputies should take place on Tuesday (20), at 9 am. According to the parliamentarian, an agreement was reached this Thursday (15) between the party leaders and the president of the Chamber himself, Arthur Lira (PP-AL).
"We reached a political agreement yesterday in President Arthur Lira's office with the majority of leaders from dozens of parties. Therefore, I believe that on Tuesday, starting at 9 am, we will begin the voting process. This matter was debated in the plenary session this week, and more than 60 deputies spoke on the matter," he reported.
Lopes stated that the text should be approved in the Chamber almost entirely as it was approved in the Senate, with a two-year validity and releasing R$ 145 billion in spending outside the spending cap. “I believe there might be some suppressive amendments, but almost in its entirety. There is a debate about international loans, which the Chamber felt somewhat uncomfortable with because these loans were not reviewed by the Chamber, only by the Senate. So there should be a text correction in that specific article. But the most important thing, which, in my opinion, will put food on the table for the Brazilian people – and also keep children in school and guarantee treatment for the Brazilian people in the SUS (Unified Health System) – will be preserved in the articles, which is the two-year term and the R$ 145 billion in budgetary space.”
He further explained that if the change is limited to a suppressive amendment, the most important part of the PEC (Proposed Constitutional Amendment) can be enacted without needing to return to the Senate. "It will be a suppressive amendment or a drafting amendment, which will be highlighted. Only that part of the amendment returns to the Senate; the rest can be immediately enacted."
When questioned about the possibility of the elected government creating budgetary space in another way if the PEC (Proposed Constitutional Amendment) is not approved, Lopes indicated that this possibility does exist. "In life and in politics, when one door closes, others open. Therefore, we have other options."
Asked about the relationship between the slow progress of the Transition Amendment in the Chamber of Deputies and the dispute over ministries and the Supreme Federal Court's (STF) judgment on the secret budget, he stated that the facts are "indirectly" interconnected. "Obviously, there is some indirect correlation, because the parties that are helping in this pre-governance and the parties that helped win the elections, anywhere in the world, in any democracy, their participation in the government is very legitimate. And President Lula has been debating and dealing with these leaders and these party presidents. Regarding the rapporteur's amendments, it is evident that the House, the group of parliamentarians and senators, understands that it is not unconstitutional because the budget is created by Congress. Now, it is evident that without transparency, without allocation within a national project, a strategic project, without distribution criteria, without equity, it is evident that this matter, this amendment, is indeed unconstitutional."
Lopes was also asked about the PT's "appetite" for ministries in Lula's (PT) government. He stated that his party colleagues understand that the government will need to be broad, just as the election campaign was. "My party understands that we won the elections as part of a broad front, and we understand that this historical moment is one of reconciliation, reconstruction, and unification of the country. And, for that, it is necessary to demonstrate this image on January 1st at the Palácio do Planalto. Therefore, our party understands that it is fundamental that this broad front be represented in the various ministries of the Esplanada."
The congressman explained that the next government should have 37 ministries. “It’s not easy. If within the PT we haven’t yet reached any agreement, 100% composition, imagine with future allies. You have allies who participated in the electoral process, allies who only participated in the second round, and allies who truly understand the historical moment and want to participate in this moment of rebuilding Brazil. Therefore, it’s not easy to put this together, and President Lula has been working hard to create a broad-front government.”
Finally, the congressman also stated that Arthur Lira has been "collaborative" regarding the progress of the PEC (Proposed Constitutional Amendment) and praised Lula's political strength. “President Arthur Lira has been collaborative. The fact is that we don't yet have a well-established base in parliament, partly because our government hasn't even taken office yet. The victories of the Lula government have shown the extent of its credibility. In other words, a government that hasn't even taken office yet has managed to advance a constitutional amendment. Therefore, this shows the prestige and strength of President Lula, and also the collaborative participation of both Senator Rodrigo Pacheco and now Congressman and President Arthur Lira.”
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