Leader of the government in the Senate, Jaques Wagner responded to speeches by Arthur Lira and said that President Lula has a “consolidated base”.| Photo: Pedro França/Agência Senado

Senator Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), leader of the government in the Senate, said this Tuesday (7) that the allied base of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in the house is “consolidated”. The speech was a response to statements by the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), that the president still would not have a majority, not even a simple one in Congress to approve matters of interest to him.

“This is his opinion, I respect it as President of the House, but when we go to vote on a matter, we will check it out. We have something consolidated here in the Senate, I don’t see a problem here, he told the newspaper O Globo at an event at the São Paulo Commercial Association (ACSP).

Wagner says that, in the Senate, there are more than 50 senators in the allied base, but that the approval of matters can vary from case to case. “It all depends on the subject. There may even be someone from the PT, on a certain matter, as a matter of conscience, voting this way or that. It is difficult. That linearity doesn’t exist,” he said.

Still according to the senator, opposition parties are expected to support some projects, such as Republicans and PL. Among Lula’s subjects of special interest are tax reform and the new fiscal framework.