Caroline de Toni is elected president of the CCJ of the Chamber of Deputies

The Liberal Party, the largest group in the Chamber of Deputies, with 96 parliamentarians, assumed the presidency of the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ), considered the most important in the House. The president of the commission will be deputy Caroline de Toni (PL-SC), also known as Carol de Toni. She was elected with 49 votes this Wednesday (06). There were also 9 blank votes. The parliamentarian will replace deputy Rui Falcão (PT-SP) in charge of the commission.

The new president of the CCJ thanked the support of the PL president, Valdemar Costa Neto, and the party leader in the Chamber, Altineu Cortês. “Despite the adversities, they supported my name,” said the deputy. She was referring to the rejection she suffered from government deputies and even the Centrão for being a right-wing parliamentarian. The deputy also highlighted that the conservatives had a historic vote in the states, and that is why she did not understand such rejection of her name. She reinforced that she is open to dialogue.

“The parameters of our actions will be based on the Constitution and the House’s Internal Regulations. We have to have a vision of approving necessary and good laws for Brazilian society. I don’t want to have quantity targets, but quality targets”, said the parliamentarian, according to a statement published on the Chamber of Deputies website.

The definition of the command of the committees, one month after the beginning of the legislative year, came out after a meeting between President Arthur Lira, of Progressistas, and the party leaders, with the indication and distribution among the parties of the committee commands.

According to the Chamber’s internal regulations, the party with the largest number of deputies has priority in the choice, and that is why the PL opted for the CCJ, through which all proposals that will be analyzed by the Chamber pass.

The Workers’ Party (PT), the second largest party in the House, took over the Health Commission, which has the largest volume of amendments, totaling R$4.5 billion.

Dispute for leadership of the CCJ

Among the priorities that the PL will be able to defend in front of the Constitution and Justice Commission are issues that directly influence the lives of Brazilian citizens, such as the issue of basic sanitation and the incidence of taxes on the income of those earning up to two minimum wages. In addition, there is an extensive agenda that deals with customs – with issues ranging from abortion to limiting decisions by ministers of the Federal Supreme Court, to amnesty for those who participated or organized acts during the 2022 presidential campaign, and for those arrested in the January 8th.

The battle for the leadership of the Constitution and Justice Commission by the PL began last year, after the PT had led the collegiate, and with Lira’s commitment to take turns between the parties. The change in command of the committees is carried out every year, as determined by the house’s internal regulations, in accordance with the proportionality of the benches.

But the agreement signed for the PL to take over the CCJ almost collapsed after the party nominated deputy Caroline de Toni (PL-SC) for the presidency, after Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ) left the race to run for mayor of Rio. of January. Arthur Lira himself would have tried, according to interlocutors, to convince the party to change the parliamentarian’s name. This is because the deputy is considered by some colleagues to be very aligned with former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), which could make life difficult for the government in the commission.

The party leader, Altineu Cortês (RJ), said he would not give up, despite sources citing that it was considered changing the command to another parliamentarian considered more moderate, Luiz Carlos Motta, who in 2023 reported the Budget Bill (PLOA), and even the possibility of ceding command to União Brasil, which also coveted the CCJ. But, in the end, Carol de Toni was elected and assumed the presidency of the commission.

Representative Caroline de Toni avoided controversial statements before the official choice, but has already announced that she will avoid discussing customs issues at the beginning of her tenure as head of the commission.

According to the parliamentarian, the Constitution and Justice Commission should honor all parties, but “we have to mediate all types of interests. We have to have common sense. But I am a right-wing deputy, and, as far as As possible, we will plan some things, taking into account the climate, the social aspect”, he said.

Regarding controversial topics, such as amnesty for those involved in the acts of January 8, the deputy said that she will need to organize the agenda, as there are more than 6 thousand projects under analysis. But she recalled that most Brazilians today do not have treated water, and that people who earn little pay Income Tax, issues that reflect the interests of society.

She also highlighted that the PL, which received votes from a large part of the population, should also look at the interests of this voter. The vice-presidency of the CCJ should also go to the Liberal Party, with deputy Chris Tonietto (PL-RJ).

This Wednesday, the installation of the commissions was marked by a lot of turmoil, with the lack of definition of names, parliamentarians’ dissatisfaction with choices and even an emergency meeting with the president, Arthur Lira, and finally, the slowness of the Chamber of Deputies system. Deputies, to update party nominations and voting.

PT stays with Health Commission

The financial aspect was one of the determining factors for the PT to elect the Health Commission among the main ones that the party will preside over in 2024. This is the House commission that holds the largest volume of amendments, this could help the party in the election of mayors in October, in addition to the issue being dear to the party, with the definition of investments and public policies in the area. The party seeks to expand its electoral base, with an eye on the presidential succession in 2026.

Deputy Dr. Francisco (PT-PI) was elected this Wednesday (6) president of the Health Committee of the Chamber of Deputies with 28 votes. He replaces Zé Vitor (PL-MG) as head of the board.

Dr. Francisco is a doctor and is in his first term as a federal deputy. He was once mayor of the municipality of São Francisco do Piauí (PI). In 2024, he presented Bill 529/24, which creates the National Policy to Combat Dengue, Chikungunya Fever and Zika Fever.

During PL’s management as head of the commission, there was an expectation that the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, would be invited to speak about the government’s pro-abortion technical note, which ended up being revoked.