Protests dominated Congress in 2013.

Karine Melo
Reporter from Agência Brasil

Brasilia – Improving public services – such as in the areas of education, health and security –, ending corruption and rejecting prejudice against minorities were some of the issues defended in the street protests that took place this year, which also mobilized demonstrators on the lawn in front of Congress.

Surprised by the scale of the protests across the country, members of Congress saw the need to work in harmony with the population. The Senate reacted with a list of priorities and approved proposals ranging from measures to contain spending in the House, which, according to President Renan Calheiros (PMDB-AL), will save R$ 300 million in the Senate budget by 2014, to projects that address the so-called "street agenda."

The list includes measures that combat corruption, such as the one that transforms this practice into a heinous crime; and end corporate privileges, such as the one that deals with the requirement of a clean record for public servants. Another highlight is the decision to make voting open in processes to revoke the mandates of parliamentarians convicted by the courts and in the analysis of presidential vetoes.

The Senate also voted on proposals regarding the allocation of oil royalties to education and health, the regulation of the Medical Act, the reduction of electricity bills, the More Doctors Program, the law that obliges health plans to expand coverage for various treatments, including for women with cancer, in addition to the Youth Statute, the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) on Music, and the laws on Copyright and half-price tickets.

"In matters that depended on the work of the Senate, Brazil improved in 2013," said Renan Calheiros.

Twenty-eight bills approved by the Senate are awaiting consideration by the Chamber of Deputies, among them many related to the demands of the street protests, such as the National Education Plan (PNE). The president of the Chamber, Henrique Alves (PMDB-RN), attributes the delay in these votes to constitutional urgencies that have blocked the Chamber's agenda.

"The Chamber's agenda was blocked for four months in the second half of the year, with projects stamped with constitutional urgency coming from the Executive branch. Based on this stamp, any other project can only be voted on after that one has been approved or voted on by the plenary," he explained.

In reviewing the year's activities, Henrique Alves highlighted the approval of the new port legislation, now Law 12.815/13. He believes the changes will guarantee competitiveness and expansion of port infrastructure, as well as attract private capital to boost Brazilian ports. The discussion of the proposal was controversial and responsible for one of the longest sessions in the history of the Chamber – between debates and votes, it lasted 25 hours.

Alves also highlighted the approval of PEC 565/06, which makes the execution of parliamentary amendments to the Union Budget mandatory. As it was modified in the Senate, the so-called mandatory budget still needs to pass another vote in the Chamber of Deputies. Even so, Alves reminded that the mechanism will already be in effect in 2014, as it was included in the Budget Guidelines Law. According to the president of the Chamber, requests from small towns that often don't reach the ministers' desks, such as the construction of a bridge, a square, or small health units, will now be considered.